In It Together
by geea2
Summary: Nathan Scott is bullied all day everyday. First at school and then at home. His life is equivalent to pain and eventually it takes its toll. Then fiery, beautiful Brooke Davis rolls into Tree Hill High intent on saving him. BRATHAN relationships.
1. That First Day

It was a bitterly cold November day when it happened. Most of winter in North Carolina was mild with less than three inches of annual snow fall. The temperature tended to be even more moderate. But on that day it was cold. The type of cold that sunk into people's veins and bones until the very core of a person was freezing.

Truly, it had been a long time coming. There is only so much a person can take before there comes a reckoning, until there comes a strange calm in the middle of a jumbled, chaotic storm in their very essence. Since back in second grade when the kids had teased him because his mother sent him to school in sneakers that cost more than four of other kids' shoes put together. Since seventh grade when Peyton Sawyer, the most popular girl and already a massive slut, had spit on him because she thought that he assumed himself to be better then her. Since ninth grade when the boys on the basketball team had stolen his clothes and dipped them in car oil. It had been a long time coming.

Nathan Scott walked down the halls of Tree Hill High anticipating someone, anyone, approaching him with the intent to inflict humiliation. It was a common occurrence. His father owned a car dealership and his mother was a hard working woman who came from old Southern money. He was one of the richest kids in the school and was hated deeply because of it. Everyone believed that he thought he was better than them because of that fact. In all honestly he did think he was better than them but only because he suffered greatly and still managed to hold it all together. He didn't have one person he truly called friend and his home life was probably worse than everyone else!

"Hey, Scott," the voice was antagonistic and bitter.

_Here we go_, he thought. It was barely obvious but his muscles flexed and he prepared himself for the blow that may come with comment.

"You deaf, Nathan," that voice made him angry; it belonged to his bastard older brother Lucas. Before Dan had meant Nathan's mother he had been high school sweethearts with Lucas' mom and ditched her. Lucas ruled the school beside his queen, Peyton, and made Nathan's life, especially since he'd joined the basketball team, miserable. Some people wondered why Nathan persisted in joining the Varsity basketball team every season when Lucas made his life so hard but that was an easy answer. Basketball was his lifeline, nothing else mattered. He was a junior now and hopefully the scouts would start to take notice so he could get the hell away from his brother, his father and Tree Hill.

"I think he's ignoring you, Luke," Peyton's voice still made a nasty taste enter his mouth. She had been pissed when he had denied her and had taken every opportunity since to make him remember how powerful she was.

"I asked," Nathan expertly balanced on his feet when he felt the shove from behind, "are you deaf?"

He turned and looked into the identical eyes of his brother, their father's eyes, "no, are you stupid?"

"He's getting mighty bold," Peyton mentioned from behind Luke.

Nathan felt everyone's stares, felt their hate and jealousy, "who the hell asked you, Peyton? Your pussy is like the 7/11, open for business 24/7."

Luke didn't hesitate as he pulled back his arm and threw a punch that never landed because Nathan anticipated him and blocked his fist. The bell rang and the brothers stared each other down as the principal's voice sounded from beside them, "homeroom and first period boys, get going!"

"You'll regret that," Luke promised, his voice low and barely contained.

Nathan nodded but replied, "not likely."

XOXOXO

"Okay," their homeroom instructor was also their first period English teacher, Mrs. Johnson. A nice older woman with a quick wit and an instant dislike for anyone she deemed socially ignorant. It was just Nathan's luck that he had his first period with everyone on the basketball team and cheerleading squad who was in his grade. The agony of small town life!

Nathan sat in the very back center, where Mrs. Johnson's eye sight tended to fail. No one sat beside him and no one sat in the chair directly in front of him. To be near him was close to social suicide, but it allowed him space throughout the day to take a breath. However, it didn't stop the other kids from voicing their hatred.

"I hear you were making pussy references this morning, Nathan," Haley, a cheerleader and the adopted daughter of Lucas' mom, began. Her parents had given her up for adoption as an infant and she had found some sense of comfort with Karen Roe, who had formally adopted her during ninth grade, "I find that funny because you've probably never even seen one."

Everyone laughed and he just raised an eyebrow. Haley had thrown herself at him two months ago while he was showering after practice in the locker rooms. When he had resisted her persist begging she had risen from her knees in anger and stormed out. Now, she obviously shared the same thought and blushed wickedly before turning around.

"We have a new transfer student," Mrs. Johnson smiled nicely at the brunette who had just walked in. Nathan took her in because he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her. She was short, barely meeting the 5'5" mark, but she was also petite with long dark, straight hair and bangs that met deep hazel eyes with sweeping, thick eye lashes. But it was her mouth that entranced him. She had beautiful lips and when they parted to reveal her perfect smile his heart jumped, but when two deep dimples set in all of his thoughts stopped for a second and he was in love.

"Hi, I'm Brooke Davis," she introduced herself before moving toward the back of the classroom.

"I wouldn't sit by him if I were you," Peyton mentioned casually and Nathan had never felt more inclined to hit her.

"He's a leper," Lucas explained, his eyes traveling up and down her body, Peyton slapped his shoulder in disgust.

Brooke looked at Nathan and winked, "I'll take my chances."

XOXOXO

Nathan spent his entire lunch thinking about the new girl, Brooke. She had sat beside him and spent the entire class sporadically writing notes and texting via a cell phone that Nathan personally knew to be high tech and very expensive.

He was still thinking about her when he felt himself being pulled up and then promptly down onto the ground of the cafeteria. He cursed himself for thinking about the new girl when he should have been thinking about the next attack.

"Did you think shit was over from this morning," Lucas was suddenly in his face.

Nathan rose silently, "let's go."

"Did you think I didn't see how you looked at the new girl? Do you think you could ever have a chance with any girl at this school," Luke asked.

"You wanna fight or do you wanna have a therapy session," Nathan asked.

Luke sneered and then laughed out loud when Tim came up from behind Nathan and smacked him over the head with his back pack sending Nathan forward just to meet Luke's punch to his stomach.

"You shouldn't rush me, little brother," Luke taunted him.

Nathan could hear everyone laughing, the cheerleaders, the basketball players, the other jocks and the geeks. He was immune to no one, everyone hated him. There was a sick calm that settled as he realized that he was hated by every person his age in his home town.

He stood up and punched Luke in the face, feeling the crunch of bone beneath his fist and relishing it. But as soon as he landed the punch he was being held back by Luke's group of friends, his own teammates on the basketball team. Luke was screaming as blood poured from his nose, "you broke my nose!"

Nathan knew it was going to be a good old fashioned beat up on Nathan day and was strangely okay with it. He felt himself giving up, there just wasn't any point in fighting it anymore.

"Hey," the voice was raspy, angry and then suddenly beside Nathan. He looked over and was surprised to see the new girl. She looked pissed and in her anger seemed to grow seven inches and turning into a superhero, "back off, you fucking bullies!"

"Hey, baby, this has nothing to do with you," Skillz, a basketball player, holding back Nathan's right arm told her.

"Do not," her voice was ice cold, "call me baby. I'm not your baby you nasty, stupid, motherfucker. Let him go! What is wrong with you people?"

"Get out of here bitch," Luke bit out, still in pain although the bleeding was dying down.

Brooke went to him and pushed him with surprising strength, "tell your goons to let him go!"

"Fine," Lucas waved his hand signaling them to release Nathan, "let's go!"

Nathan watched Brooke as she watched the rest of the basketball team's retreating backs. She finally turned to him and looked him over, "how's your stomach?"

"Fine," he told her.

She looked up into his blue eyes and held his gaze, "people here certainly don't like you."

"Yeah," he agreed.

"Wanna get out of here," she asked.

His eyes widened, "I'm social suicide."

She shrugged, "I don't care."

"You don't understand," he tried.

Brooke nodded slightly, "I might understand more than you know, Nathan Scott, richest boy at THHS."

Nathan nodded, "they detest me."

"Let's go," she urged him.

Finally Nathan nodded and followed her out of the school and to her car. He sat down in the passenger's side of the VW Bug and was surprised by the quality of her stereo system as she blared Snoop Dogg on their drive through town.

"You're rich," he finally asked.

Brooke pulled her Bug into her parking spot and nodded, "rich, alone, abandoned."

"You live here alone," he looked around the nice apartment complex.

"Yeah, my parents pay bills but never manage to see me in person," she looked down at her lap, "I don't know why I'm telling you this."

Nathan didn't question her further but acted on impulse and squeezed her hand gently, "I could really use a sandwich and a soda before I have to go back for basketball practice."

She smiled and her dimples paralyzed him once again, "come on up, Nathan Scott."

He followed her up into her apartment and ate lunch with her while they watched bad judge shows. He had never laughed so much, he had never felt so alive. Brooke Davis, he determined, could be his saving grace.

XOXOXO

Despite the high quality of his lunch hour with Brooke there still came a time when he had to return to the high school and get ready for basketball practice. The season would be starting in a week and everyone on the team knew it would be a matter of time before hell week would begin. Hell week was an idea devised by Whitey, their coach, to get all of the players in tip-top condition by their first game against their arch rivals, Bear Creek. Bear Creek was on the other side of a set of train tracks that divided South Tree Hill from North Bear Creek. Bear Creek was where all of the rich kids lived. Nathan tried to refrain from thinking about what his life would have been like if his father had decided to base his car dealerships out of Bear Creek instead of his hometown.

Nathan walked into the locker room and went to his locker anticipating something being tampered with. Today his lock was covered in honey. Tomorrow it would something else, and then something else the next day, until the season was over. That was just the way it worked.

"We saw you leaving with the new girl," Luke's voice made Nathan tense.

"Do you need a girl to defend you now," Skillz asked.

Nathan finally opened his locker and was surprised to see that his clothes were still there. For all of the guys talk about how he thought he was better because he was rich they were always stealing his clothes so they'd have name brand stuff.

"No, but since Luke apparently needs four guys to help if he's going to fight I figured I'd better have somebody on my side," he knew he sounded condescending and rude.

"You've known this girl for almost five hours," Luke's voice was mocking, "soon enough she'll figure out that being anywhere near you is no good for her."

Nathan forced himself to shrug, Brooke seemed like the type who could handle anything they threw at her in the hallways, "what do you care, Lucas? I don't give a damn so I don't understand why you do."

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important," their coach's voice was angry, as it tended to be.

"Nope, coach, just the normal," Nathan replied.

"Practice now, anyone takes more than two minutes and that's two more reps of suicides," Whitey promised.

Luke looked into Nathan's eyes, "you'll pay for my nose."

Nathan smiled congenially, "we'll see."

XOXOXO

Nathan walked to and from school. He tried to drive a few times but had ended up with popped tires each and every time. His car wasn't really spectacular, just a normal Chevy Impala although it did have its little perks but he tried to keep those attributes on the low. As he walked, his limbs aching from the harshness of the first day of hell week, he heard a car slowing as it approached him. Lucas had never tried to run him over before but he could never be too sure about the new torture devices his brother could come up with.

"Hey, Nate, need a ride," he smiled at Brooke, surprised to see her.

"That would be great," he agreed.

As she drove Brooke chanced a quick glance at him, "I was told, very subtly too, that I had a one week grace period to decide if I want to be on team Nathan or team I-want-to-not-be-socially-ostracized-for-the-rest-of-high-school."

Nathan swallowed hard, "and?"

"I laughed and walked away and I think that pissed the fake blond off," Brooke confided.

"Peyton," Nathan nearly had a heart attack. Peyton never personally spoke to anyone who wasn't in her social group. To even approach Brooke would mean that she was afraid that her power was waning.

"Yeah, sure. And a little one with equally fake blond hair and the ugliest poncho I have ever laid eyes on," Brooke shuddered.

"Haley," Nathan's eyes popped out of his head again.

"I don't know their names! Is this it right here," Brooke pointed toward a large brown stone house.

Nathan nodded, still incapable of speaking. He noticed that his father's car was all ready home, which meant that he and Nathan's mother were arguing. Dan tried not to come home before Deb's night cap unless there was something he specifically wanted to argue about.

"Shit," he muttered.

Brooke didn't question the obscenity, "you know where I live if you need to get away."

"You don't even know me," Nathan reminded her.

"Sometimes when two people meet its like they've known each other for years," she told him.

Nathan nodded and thanked her for the ride. After she pulled away he walked into his house. As anticipated his mother was taking a frustrated gulp of her scotch and Dan was yelling at her and berating her.

Both of them looked at him when he entered. Deb's gaze, although slightly glassy, brightened instantly, "Nate, how was school?"

"Fine mom," he kissed her cheek and strategically placed himself in between her and his father.

"Do you want some dinner," she asked and then decided, "I'll make you some dinner!"

"Don't touch anything you fucking boozy! You'll burn down my house," Dan yelled at her.

"Dad," Nathan stopped him from approaching Deb.

Dan studied his son, "what's your problem? What was your time for suicides?"

Nathan barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes, the only thing that mattered for Dan, beside money, was his son playing basketball well, "two minutes and twelve seconds."

Dan smacked his head forcefully, "where did the twelve seconds come from?"

"Dan," Deb yelled at him.

"What," Dan barked back at her.

"Don't touch him! You're a monster and I'm sorry I ever married you," she told him.

"Well you're a selfish whore and I wish I'd never gone near you," he replied.

Nathan began to walk away, this occurred too often, but Dan suddenly pulled him back and he felt his lower back bang against the countertop. He winced and Dan seemed to understand that injuring Nathan would not help him win any state titles, so he released him.

"I'm leaving," Nathan told them.

"Where are you going," Deb asked.

"To my room," he told her.

As he walked up the stairs he heard their argument begin anew and felt the now normal feeling of frustration fall over him.

XOXOXO

Nathan knocked on her door and was surprised when she opened the door. She was wearing a pair of boxers and a black tang top that left a scant amount to the imagination.

"Hey, Nate, come on in," she stood back so he could enter.

He walked into the now familiar living room and noticed that the couch was made up with a pillow, sheets and a comforter. He looked at her, "you were expecting me?"

"No," she shrugged, "but I believe in being prepared."

"I just needed to get away," he told her.

"I figured. The only thing I have more experience with then abandonment is feuding parents."

He sat and unlaced his Jordans but didn't chance a look at her, "this is weird."

"Why is it weird," she wondered. He could hear that she was now in the kitchen and eating something.

"I just met you this morning," he reminded her.

"Like I said," she dropped a bowl of grapes onto the coffee table, "sometimes you have to trust your instincts and I happen to believe 100% in mine."

"What are your instincts telling you about me, about this place," Nathan wondered.

"They're telling me that Tree Hill High needs a revamping and that Nathan Scott needs a friend," she turned on the television and gasped in delight, "ANTM!"

"What," he asked with a laugh.

"America's Next Top Model," she squealed and turned it up, "I have a feeling you're going to love this show!"


	2. Precious Moments Of Sweet Decay

A few weeks later, Nathan woke up to Brooke vacuuming the living room. Usually she ended up sleeping later than he did so he was surprised that she was even functioning at, he checked his watch, eight in the morning.

"Brooke," he groaned, "why?!"

She laughed out loud and it was a sound that Nathan truly relished. Her laugh was raspy and strong and she tipped her head back to gasp for air when she was really amused.

"Because, my very sleepy friend, whenever I'm leaving for an extended period of time I like the apartment to look fabulous so when I get back I can just relax," she explained.

"Brooke, we're going to be gone for one day and two nights," he reminded her, "that's hardly an extended stay!"

"Whatever, Mr. Grumpy pants," she continued to vacuum and Nathan just watched her for a time. She was always running around in the skimpiest boxers and tang top. He couldn't deny that he liked it but he would never tell her that. Brooke had become, in a few short weeks, the best friend he had ever had. She listened to his problems, gave him advice, went out to dinner and the movies with him, went to his games to cheer him on and had declared herself his personal body guard. Then when things were really bad she gave him a place to stay, no questions asked.

"How did you manage to get Whitey's approval to ride the bus with the team and the squad," he asked her.

She winked over her shoulder, "I told him that I worked for the school newspaper."

"Sneaky," he told her as he rose and stretched.

"I know," she smiled and tried to stop staring at his muscles and barely clad body. She couldn't deny that he had a body any red blooded girl would swoon over but she would never tell him that. In the few short weeks she'd been in Tree Hill he had become something she had never allowed any other man to be, her friend. She let him see a different side of her and she wasn't willing to lose that because she thought his body was to die for.

"I'm going to shower and stop home so the parentals think I've been there all night," Nathan told her.

"Okay, Nate, maybe if you ask nicely I'll make you some pancakes too," she told him.

He grinned at her and put his hands together in a sign of prayer, "please, Brooke!"

She smiled and nodded, "I suppose when you put it like that!"

"Thanks," he told her and walked toward the bathroom. She stared at his behind and thought she might have a heart problem because all of a sudden she was having heart palpitations.

XOXOXO

"So that's when I told her that I had seen her mother with the gym teacher and she practically died," Brooke finished her story as she and Nathan got to her locker.

Nathan looked around, weary of everyone. That was the way they walked into school everyday. Brooke told him some ridiculous story so he would relax a bit as they walked through the halls, not giving anyone the satisfaction of knowing that he was on edge. It was a few days after hell week when everyone realized the new girl would have to be ostracized as well because Brooke broke up three more unfair fights Luke tried to initiate and when someone stole Nathan's boxers to hang from the ceiling in the middle of the main hallway she shrugged pulled her underwear off from beneath her jean skirt and threw hers up to join his. She was officially on team Nathan and he realized that he was lucky to have her.

"Hey loser and tramp," Peyton greeted them as she walked by with Haley and Bevin, another cheerleader.

"Hey," Brooke slammed her locker close and stood, both hands at her hips, "over processed blond, I'm talking to you!"

"Brooke," Nathan warned.

Peyton swung around in surprise, "did you speak to me?"

"Yeah, I know, you're a bit beneath me but I figured someone should let you know," Brooke replied.

"Here we go," Nathan murmured and rolled his eyes as Peyton stalked back to them.

"Let's get something straight, slut, you don't speak to me. I run this sch-"

Brooke stopped her midsentence by taking Nathan's hand and walking away. Nathan couldn't believe that Brooke had the nerve to walk away from Peyton in the middle of a sentence. He grinned like an idiot, if he hadn't loved her before he would have fallen for her in that moment.

"Hey, I'm talking to you," Peyton sounded furious.

There were clicks on the linoleum floor as the three ran to catch up with them. Finally they were stopped when a hand landed on Brooke's shoulder.

Haley swung Brooke around, her face red with anger, "I don't know who you think you are!"

"I think I'm Brooke Davis and," she checked her watch, "I don't have time for you. Come on, Nate."

They began to walk again but both of them knew they had just tempted the devil.

XOXOXOXO

Lucas Scott watched as his brother and the new girl laughed at something she had just said. The past few weeks had seen more changes then Luke liked. The new girl had come and everyone knew that her decision to be friends with Nathan was a slight against them. She had seen their hierarchy and had opted out. Sometimes he wished he could opt out.

"Did you hear me, Lucas," Peyton asked him.

He wanted to tell her to shut up while he considered Brooke and Nathan but that wouldn't work because then they would spend the entire weekend pissed and he really wanted to party while they were in Charlotte.

"Yeah, baby, I heard. She walked away in the middle of your sentence like she's better then you or something," he reiterated having learned a long time ago how to listen to Peyton without actually having to tune in,

"I don't know who she thinks she is," Peyton hissed.

Haley walked up behind her and slammed a paper in front of Peyton, "she's Brooke Davis!"

"Yes, Haley, I know her name," Peyton rolled her eyes.

"Look at the paper, Peyton," Haley told her. She looked at the blond boy she considered her best friend and her heart softened a bit. He seemed so stressed during basketball season and Peyton's constant mood swings didn't help him.

Peyton's green eyes grew large with surprise, "she was a cheerleader!"

"Let me see," Lucas finally snatched the paper from Peyton. It was an article from a paper in South Carolina. Brooke was leading a group of girls that looked gorgeous. They were obviously cheerleaders but there was something familiar about the colors of the uniforms.

"Get it," Haley murmured the question.

"Blackville Academy colors," Lucas whispered, "she's rich."

"Explains why they get along so well," Haley nodded.

Lucas looked at Brooke, she did have a nice car and he had heard that she lived alone although he had never seen her working anywhere.

"She thinks she's better then me," Peyton pouted.

Haley rolled her eyes. It always came down to money for Peyton. Given, none of them had money to burn. Karen had her own business but tended to be a softy and not charge certain customers that she knew couldn't afford it. But regardless Haley and Lucas weren't terribly poor but they did work and they did pay for their luxuries. Peyton, however, was bottom of the rung poor. She lived in the same trailer park as half of the school and had an unhappy home life.

"What else did you find out," Lucas asked Haley.

"Nothing yet, but I will," she promised.

"What about Nathan," Peyton asked.

Luke shrugged, "what about him?"

"What are we going to do to him today to get back at his little bitch," she wondered.

"I don't know," Luke admitted. It was becoming a bit tedious taking all of his issues of abandonment from Dan out on Nathan.

"We'll think of something awful to do to her, Peyt," Haley promised and thankfully led his girlfriend away from him.

Lucas watched his brother and Brooke as they rose. He wanted to know what their relationship was before he made any plans.

XOXOXOXO

"See you after gym," Nathan promised Brooke as he walked away. She watched him leave and smiled gently. He was such a good friend.

She changed quickly and began to stretch with the other girls as they waited for their gym teacher to come out. Brooke was in a split, enjoying the stretch, when she felt someone walk up behind her.

"Boy, you sure can spread your thighs," Peyton told her.

Brooke rolled her eyes, "I'm sure you can too, for every man you meet."

The girls nearby chuckled lightly but stopped when Peyton shot them angry looks, "you think you're so smart!"

"No, Pamela, I think that I don't care enough about you to discuss it," Brooke replied.

"Pamela," Peyton gasped out in surprise, "my name is Peyton!"

"Pamela, Peyton, Joanne," Brooke shrugged, "whatever!"

"That is so like a rich skank to say," Haley told her.

Brooke finally inched her way out until she could rise. She felt that Haley was a formidable opponent, "so you found out my secret. That's right ladies, my parent's are rich. But guess what, I don't think I'm better than you because of that. I think I'm better than you because you're all sheep who follow a blind leader."

"We are not sheep," Peyton gasped out.

Haley rolled her eyes, "you should probably be more insulted that she insinuated that you're blind and stupid."

Brooke grinned and shook her head in amusement, "honestly, Joanne, you're dumber than a bag of rocks."

"My name is Peyton and I rule this sch-"

"Yes, I know, you rule this school," Brooke finished for her.

"You're playing with the wrong people," Haley told her.

"You're a tumbler, right," Brooke asked.

Haley's eyes narrowed, "so what?"

Brooke took a few steps back and did a double hand spring, two cart wheels and finished with back flip that landed her in a split. There were gasps around the room. Haley was the only tumbler and she was damned good at it, but so was Brooke.

"That was excellent," the gym teacher finally entered, "have you ever thought of trying out for the cheerleading squad?"

"I'd love to," Brooke told her after a moment.

Haley fumed; her hands were tight fists at her side, "the season all ready started coach!"

"We've been hoping for another tumbler for so long," the coach reminded her.

"And I'm a fully trained cheerleader, been doing it for years," Brooke promised.

Haley approached Brooke when the coach walked away, "what's your game?"

"Maybe it's a familiar game, Haley," Brooke replied.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you down Nathan every day for fun, because you're all truly horrible people. Maybe this is just some of your own medicine," she explained.

Haley seethed as Brooke walked away but no matter how she looked at it she still had to give Brooke her due, she knew how to play the game but it was still debatable who would win.

XOXOXOXO

"Hold on," Nathan still Brooke with a hand on her arm, "you agreed to be a cheerleader?"

"Yeah," Brooke shrugged, "can we get on the bus now? It's cold out here, Nate."

Nathan stared at her long and hard, "why?"

She rolled her eyes, "I told you that I was a cheerleader at my old high school."

"Yeah and that you were the best," Nathan repeated wryly.

Brooke grinned, "I was and I am and if those bitches can't leave you alone then I'll give them a taste of their own medicine."

"Brooke, I don't want you to get involved. They will do everything they can to hurt you," Nathan told her seriously. He was worried. Brooke was always trying to protect him but failed to realize that he had developed a thick skin, she hadn't yet. They would find something and humiliate her and berate her.

"Okay, look," Brooke put both hands on Nathan's chest and looked him in the eyes, "I will not tolerate their behavior the way you do. I will not let their snide comments fall of deaf ears. I'll fight for both of us."

Before Nathan could respond his father's voice behind him made him groan. He turned and watched as Dan inspected Brooke. There were times when he truly hated Dan Scott.

"What are you doing here, Dad," Nathan asked.

"I wanted to wish you luck before you're big away game but it seems I'm interrupting something."

"Nope, nothing at all, lovely to meet you Mr. Scott, I'm Brooke Davis," Brooke shook Dan's hand.

Dan's eyes widened in surprise, "Davis? As in the Davis' of South Carolina?"

"Yes, sir, much obliged," she donned her sweetest Southern accent.

"Tell your father that at the next southern country club golf tournament I plan on whipping him and the Cherokee Club!"

"I will," Brooke smiled politely, "now I must get going, the bus is leaving soon."

Before Dan could reply Luke walked by, plainly ignoring Dan but Peyton spit on the ground beside his shoe. Dan laughed, "what a prize you've found, Lucas."

"What," Luke turned.

"Here we go," Nathan muttered.

"It seems that you've found yourself a real lady," Dan taunted him.

Luke turned red, "don't talk to me about my choice of a girlfriend!"

"Is that what she is?-a girlfriend? I thought _it_ was a trucker addicted to chew," Dan told him.

Nathan could see this boiling over until Luke ended up taking it out on him but to his surprise Brooke stepped forward, "Mr. Scott, one should not say things in so public a manner."

Dan nodded and pulled Nathan aside to say, "good choice son, but focus on your game," before getting into his Mustang and driving off.

Lucas stared enraged at Brooke, "that was not your business!"

"I suppose you like your father publically embarrassing your girlfriend. Jeesh, try and help someone," Brooke said out loud.

"We don't need your help," Peyton told her.

"It wasn't your business," Luke repeated taking one step toward her and that was all it took.

Nathan was in front of Brooke before she could blink looking just as big and angry as Lucas, "you wanna take another step?"

Luke's eyes opened wide in surprise. In all of the years, no matter how harsh the embarrassment or pain Nathan never initiated one of their fights. But with his one step toward Brooke Luke realized that Nathan had every intention of fighting and he looked angry enough to do damage.

"Must we wait all day for the Scott brothers, every day," Whitey asked from the bus door.

"Let's go," Peyton urged Lucas until he turned and followed her.

As Nathan walked, Brooke behind him, he felt a pinch to his lower back. She giggled, "you're a he-man when you wanna be!"

Nathan shook his head and smiled, he had never stood up to Lucas like that before and quite suddenly he realized he wasn't powerless.

XOXOXOXO

Nathan sat with an arm around Brooke as she slept, her head was lying on his shoulder and he could tell she was asleep because she had the smallest, barely discernable snore.

"So is she officially your girlfriend," Lucas' voice sounded behind him.

They were waiting to play but the game ahead of them was barely halfway through. The rest of the players and cheerleaders were getting small snacks to help sustain them through the game.

"We're just friends," Nathan replied. He didn't even know why he was having this conversation.

"You look like more than friends," Luke continued.

"Well, we're not," Nathan snapped.

Brooke startled awake, looked around and then stretched, "geez, N. Scott, how long was I asleep?"

"Twenty minutes," he told her.

Brooke looked around at the crowd and then the score board. She groaned, "I'm going to get some grub, I'll grab you some nachos I know they're your fave."

Nathan smiled at her and then groaned when she rubbed his freshly buzz cut head, "you can stop petting me anyday."

"Always complaining," she teased him and then finally noticed Lucas, "and if it isn't _you_. I guess they'll let anyone on basketball teams nowadays!"

Nathan watched her flounce away and grinned but it disappeared the moment Lucas spoke again, "you want her to be your girlfriend?"

"Look, I don't know why you're trying to be all buddy-buddy with me but I know it's a game so back off," Nathan warned him.

"I wouldn't have hit her," Luke murmured.

"What," Nathan hadn't heard him over the crowd.

"Earlier, when I was mad, I wouldn't have hit her."

Nathan snorted, "you probably hit girls for fun!"

"We're not friends but that doesn't mean that I would have beat her up," Luke cracked her knuckles.

"Why are you even talking to me? We're not the close brotherly types," Nathan reminded him.

Lucas watched him get up to join Brooke and sighed. He got so frustrated sometimes. The massive weight on his shoulders was always threatening to crush him. He had to work for his mom to help out, and be an amazing basketball player so he could get the hell out of Tree Hill and out of his father's shadow. He realized there would come a day when he no longer had to worry about maintaining his image because he could start fresh where no one knew him.

XOXOXOXO

"Let's get one thing straight," Peyton looked around at her cheerleaders and then focused her gaze on Brooke, "you are not a part of my squad. Just stand in the back and try not to fuck up the routine."

"Oh, you're breaking my heart, Rebecca," Brooke grinned at her but her eyes were cold.

"My name," Peyton paused and took a deep breath, "is Peyton. Before the end of this weekend I promise you that you'll never forget it again."

Brooke took a step toward her, "bring it. I promise you your face will never look the same."

"Ladies, are we ready to cheer," the coach asked as she entered the locker room.

Brooke's eyebrow rose in challenge, "are we captain?"

Peyton didn't miss her sarcastic tone and sucked her teeth before deciding she would save Brooke's humiliation for later, "you bet, coach!"

"Let's go," the coach prompted them.

"It's not over by a long shot," Haley told Brooke.

Brooke nodded, "if it was I'd be disappointed in you."

Haley stopped for one moment and looked at Brooke, "you will regret the day you came to Tree Hill."

"Something tells me _you'll_ regret the day I came to Tree Hill because you can all ready feel the shift," Brooke stopped too, letting the other cheerleaders continue on.

"The shift," Haley questioned.

"That subtle change in how everyone looks at you and considers you. They're still too scared to say anything to your face but it'll start. Behind your back at first, then in hushed whispers a bit too close to be misinterpreted, then to your face. The problem with being the bully is that eventually people realize that they have power and then they strike back."

"You talk a good game Brooke, but not good enough," Haley told her.

"We'll see," Brooke concluded and then turned on her heel to follow the others.

Haley nodded and waited a moment before following, "yes, we will."

XOXOXOXO

Par the usual Nathan spent the first half of the game begging to get the ball because every time the players followed Lucas they neglected to pass the ball to him. Nathan took the ball to the hole better than Lucas could and everyone knew it. Nathan was their dunker and Lucas was their three-pointer. The only problem with that was that their opposing team, the Ashville Captains, had stellar defense at the line. Which meant Lucas hadn't been able to sink more than ten baskets all night.

"What the hell is going on," Whitey asked after he called a time out, "are you all blind or do you want to be losers?"

"Coach I can handle it," Lucas promised, sweat pouring down his face.

"If you sad bunch of players want the slightest chance at the state title pass the damn ball to Nathan," Whitey instructed them, "Ravens on three."

"1…2…3…Ravens!"

Lucas nodded at Nathan as they jogged back to the court, "don't fuck up!"

Nathan nodded curtly. From the moment he got the ball Nathan was on fire. He slammed on three players, rebounded more times then he could count and after every play he managed to see Brooke. She was on the side with the other cheerleaders and to his surprise he saw that she had claimed his number. All of the cheerleaders painted a player's number on their cheek and that player was theirs to cheer for. Nathan had never had anyone but now Brooke was around, and there was a blue and black 23 on her left cheek.

"Go Nathan," she shouted bringing her pom-poms up for a cheer.

He winked at her but was surprised when he was shoved onto the ground. To his even more immense surprise one of the Raven players, Tim, came to his aid, shoving the offending player.

"What the fuck," Tim cursed.

Nathan smiled as he rose, he was given a penalty shot and it would be for the game. Despite any issues he had with any of the players as they stood waiting for his shot they were all in sync. Nathan tossed the ball with his eyes closed and listened intently. He heard the sweet swoosh of the ball going directly through the hoop and then the screaming of the fans. It was always a moment of intensity.

He grunted suddenly in surprise when two arms flung around his neck and he finally opened his eyes. Brooke was grinning in his face, "you did it, N. Scott!"

He laughed and wrapped his arms around her, "I know!"

Brooke relished his hold around her and had truly never felt happier in her life, Nathan was thinking the exact same.

XOXOXOXO

Brooke and Nathan walked through the hotel together, they had waited until everyone else had left to go to a huge party before returning. Neither was particularly interested in any altercations that night. After the game instead of joining the team and being demeaned for his small errors of the night Nathan had asked Brooke if she wanted to go out to dinner. She agreed readily and they had spent a lengthy time at a nice Creole restaurant talking and then listening to the live entertainment.

Nathan didn't know if he'd be able to have many more perfect memories with Brooke. They filled him with too much elation and joy. No one had ever taken the time out to be his friend and suddenly there was Brooke.

He wrapped an arm around her as they walked down the carpeted hallway, "you know what?"

"What," she asked wrapping her arm around his waist.

"I think tonight is a perfect night for my tic-tac-toe rematch," he told her.

"Are you still obsessing over that loss? You, my friend, need to let it go," she finished her sentence by tickling his ribs. He jolted away from her and then his eyes narrowed. Brooke began to run, laughing all the way, "no, Nathan! I'm sorry!"

Nathan gained on her and hoisted her over his shoulder so her face was in line with his behind and even upside down Brooke had to admit it was a fine ass.

"You're going to regret that, Davis," he told her but she could hear the laughter in his voice.

"Nathan," she cried out, her laughter was making her stomach hurt, "put me down! You're such an ogre!"

"What's this," Brooke heard the voice and knew immediately that it was Lucas.

Very slowly and gently Nathan deposited Brooke onto her feet. She turned immediately and looked at Lucas. He was dressed in jeans and a black tee, which was consequently also his girlfriend's favorite outfit to wear.

"What are you guys up to tonight," Lucas asked.

"Let's go, Brooke," Nathan told her, one hand on her arm protectively so he could shove her aside if Lucas tried to touch her.

Lucas' eyes narrowed, "I told you I wouldn't hit her."

"I don't trust you," Nathan replied.

They passed Lucas but had barely taken a few steps before he turned and told them they should go to the party in town.

"Why would we do that," Brooke asked, turning to look at him, "as if daily persecution isn't fun enough."

Luke looked her over, "regardless of our personal issues Nathan is still a part of the team."

Nathan laughed out loud, "I'm a part of the team when you deem it. The team is yours; I don't need you or them. No thanks, we've got plans for the night."

"You always persist in thinking yourself better than us," Luke pointed out.

"No," Nathan clutched his fists, "you got pissed because Dan chose my mother. I didn't choose him and he sure as hell didn't choose me over you. He chose the woman with money. Money has never meant anything to me."

"Easy to say when you have it," Luke pointed out.

"Do you even understand how much I would give to change things? You've been punishing me every day of my life for Dan's mistakes. Don't be so self-righteous when you've been just as evil as him!"

Luke's eyes widened, "don't compare me to him!"

"And what you truly don't get is that you're the lucky one. Not because of your 'friends' or your reputation, but because of your home life. You've never opened your eyes to the fact that you've been lucky not to have Dan in your life. I suffer everyday with him! Do you want the money? Will that get you off my back for one fucking second?"

"Nate," Brooke gently took his hand, she could sense that he was precariously close to his boiling point.

Nathan looked down at their hands and took a breath, "fuck you, Lucas. Like I said, we have plans."

"Come on," Brooke's fingers slid in between his but she looked back for one moment at Lucas and although he looked closed off she knew that he was considering Nathan in a way that he hadn't in the past.


	3. Score One For The Home Team

"You know what I love about stars," Brooke whispered the question to Nathan. They were on the roof of the hotel on the opposite end of where the master suite's hot tub was located. Despite Charlotte's bright lights the stars were still startlingly clear.

"What," he asked.

She smiled, "they make you remember that there's more than you think there is."

Nathan was still holding her hand. He hadn't let go since she had first took his hand in the hallway earlier in the night. She knew that she was standing in as a lifeline and she also knew that there was nowhere else on the face of the planet where she wanted to be.

"I can't wait to get the fuck out of Tree Hill and away from Dan," Nathan told her.

His voice sounded so sad, so desolate, "where do you want to go to college?"

"I've thought of Notre Dame and Purdue, they're both good basketball teams and I think I could be beneficial to their teams," he replied, "and I just really want to get out of Carolina. Away from anything that reminds me of Tree Hill."

Brooke took a deep breath, she felt his pain so piercingly. Sometimes it hurt to breathe when she saw his eyes full of pain, "if you want to get out then you will. I'll help you. We could leave tomorrow."

Nathan laughed and pulled her to him, "I want to get away and I will but I won't run. I'm not a coward."

"I know you're not," she agreed as she nuzzled herself into his side.

"You're my best friend, Brooke," he told her quietly.

She smiled gently, "I want to take you somewhere."

"Now," he asked with a quizzical laugh.

"No, not now, but maybe next weekend or whenever we can," she replied.

"Where?"

She sat up and grinned down at him, "it's a surprise."

"Okay," he sat up to and nodded his head in agreement. He trusted her, with everything, he'd follow her wherever she wanted to go.

XOXOXOXO

Haley was just getting in from being at the party all night when she saw Nathan leaving Brooke's room and sneaking back across the hall into his solitary room. Everyone else had a roommate but not surprisingly no one had opted to be Nathan's.

"Well, well, well, Nathan Scott," Haley taunted, "leaving Brooke's room a bit late aren't you?"

He turned and faced Haley. As usually she was surprised by how good looking he was. But despite his good looks every time she saw him all she could think about was the time she had tried to seduce him. She had been in pain, she had been looking for anything she could grasp onto to make the situation she had found herself in better.

"We just got in I wanted to make sure her room wasn't rigged," he replied.

Haley had an inner wince. She knew that somewhere along the lines she had become someone that she didn't recognize anymore. Someone who took far too much pride in hurting people.

"So is she your girlfriend," Haley wondered as she took a few lazy steps toward him.

Nathan shook his head, "no, we're just friends."

"Snuggling with her on the bus, spending most nights at her apartment, leaving her room in a pair of basketball shorts," Haley looked him up and down, "doesn't seem like a platonic type of relationship."

"What does it matter to you?"

"It doesn't. I'm just curious as to when you plan on telling her all of your dirty little secrets," she told him.

"What dirty little secrets," Nathan wondered.

"Does she know that Daddy dearest beats you," Haley asked.

Nathan's face paled, "how did you know?"

"Beside the classic yellowing around your ribs? I saw you two at the River court a few weeks back. Daddy punched you pretty hard, how's that shoulder anyway?"

Instinctively his put his hand on his left shoulder remembering the piercing pain that had just begun to go away. He wanted to deny Haley, to tell she was a liar and that she was obviously grasping at straws but she wasn't and they both knew it.

"And you all think I'm the one with the perfect life," Nathan murmured with a sardonic smile.

Haley was taken aback by his manner. He was beginning to take their hits with a smile, she didn't know if that meant anything or every thing. Brooke had said that at some point the bullied realized that they have power and then strike back at the bully.

"A few hits for a couple grand in allowance," Haley shrugged, "I'd take it."

Nathan laughed then, "no, you wouldn't. You would be stupid to."

She watched him go into his room knowing he'd find the bed full of jelly and peanut butter but she didn't say anything. What worried her was that she wanted to warn him. She had never been beaten but she had been in foster care for long enough in her life to see abuse at its harshest. It could kill a person inside, she thought and then she headed to her room with a reserved sigh, just like bullying could.

XOXOXOXO

Brooke woke up so comfortable that she didn't want to move. She took a deep breath in contentment and realized then that she was lying on top of Nathan. She looked down and saw that her head had been on his chest and the rest of her was literally on him using him as a complete body pillow. Oddly enough the first thought that struck her was how much bigger Nathan was from her. With her head on his chest her toes only reached his shins…hairy shins. She sighed and laid her head back down on his chest. He was still asleep, his chest moving rhythmically with his deep breaths.

"Morning," he startled her just as she was about to fall asleep again.

Brooke looked up and then at Nathan's face. He hadn't opened his eyes yet but he was grinning, "good morning, sunshine."

"You've fulfilled all of my Brooke Davis fantasies," he told her with a chuckle.

She buried her head back on his chest, "I swear I don't usually use people as human pillows."

"I'm sure," he told her with mock severity. His arms, which had been loosely around her, tightened and then he flipped her so she was back on the bed.

He looked into her eyes and suddenly left the bed. Brooke sat up completely startled, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I have to catch a shower before the game, it's the big one today," he reminded her.

She nodded and watched him practically run into the bathroom. She grinned before shrugging her shoulders, she wasn't sure that she'd ever understand men.

In the bathroom Nathan stood under the hot water stroking his dick furiously. Sometimes it was the only thing that kept him from taking Brooke wherever he found her. Sometimes it was the only thing that reminded him that his friendship with her wasn't worth what sleeping with her would cost him. Before she had come he had been fine standing on his own but now that she was in his life he couldn't lose her. He could take the insults and the cruel 'jokes' but he wouldn't survive losing her. She was truly all he had.

XOXOXOXO

"Okay, really, Nathan? That's just gross," Brooke's voice was full of disdain as she watched Nathan wade his hand through a puddle of muddy disgusting water. She really cared for the boy but she couldn't deny that his obsessions were a bit all consuming.

"Brooke, it's a 1989 rookie Michael Jordan card," Nathan reiterated as he felt a lot of things that he preferred not to think about.

"Okay I know basketball means a lot to you Nathan, and I understand, I really do, but honey you're putting your hand in a place that is nothing if it's not the most unsanitary puddle in the universe! We'll get you another card."

"I wouldn't need a new card if someone wasn't flitting it around in the middle of Charlotte," Nathan reminded her.

Brooke pouted, "well I had never seen a basketball card before. And why do they make the numbers on those things so small? You'd have to have 20/90 vision to see those little letters!"

"I think the second number gets smaller with better sight," he commented. Finally he pulled out the card it was covered in black mud and it had an odor. He shrugged and rose, "good thing I put it in plastic."

"Oh, yeah," Brooke looked at the card as he wrapped it in napkins from their Bojangles bag of leftovers, "I'm ecstatic for you."

He rolled his eyes and finally deposited the card in the bag, "let's go, little trouble maker!"  
"I'm the trouble maker," she sounded affronted.

He tossed his arm carelessly around her shoulders as they approached the entrance of the hotel. They had gone out again after the game, opting out of the big dinner but not before Nathan moved all of his things into Brooke's room. He knew there would something else, there always was.

"Where were you two," Peyton's voice made the smile on Nathan's mouth drop, Brooke immediately missed it.

"None of your business," Brooke replied and although Nathan had dropped his arm she laced their fingers, leading him into the hotel.

"I stopped at both of your rooms," Peyton told them.

Brooke turned around, "if you touched my shit-"

"You'll what," Peyton anticipated her.

"Bitch, Nathan may be too nice of a guy to use the money you're always persecuting him for, but I'm not! There are ways to get back at people."

"That," Peyton stepped forward until her finger was a few inches from Brooke's face, "is the problem with you rich people! You always think because you have money that you're exempt."

"Are you serious," Brooke questioned incredulously, "how can you even look at yourself in the mirror? You spend all of your time working diligently for respect by making the people around you feel like shit. Congratulations, whatever the fuck your name is, you're a bully. No wonder I think I'm better than you. And if you don't get your finger out of my face in the next three seconds I'll rip it off of your hand!"

"Okay," Nathan lifted Brooke easily and walked through the entire of length of the lobby and into the elevator before letting her go. He fixed her hair, brushing it back from her eyes, "you okay?"

She huffed and pouted, "I could have taken her!"

Nathan tried to stifle it but within a moment he was laughing out loud. Brooke looked like a strong breeze could blow her away but there was a core of steel within her that made her one of the most fearless women he had ever met.

The elevator door opened and Nathan took her hand this time, lacing their fingers tightly, "let's go, Rocky Balboa."

But they both noticed that their room doors were wide open. Since Nathan's stuff was all in Brooke's room they went there. The entire room was a mess, clothes every where and written on the mirror at the vanity in red lipstick was the note: look at the computer, we know your secrets.

In the middle of the bed was a laptop, Brooke and Nathan cautiously approached it and finally sat down. It was a slideshow and the first picture made Nathan groan and Brooke gasp. She turned her hazel eyes to him, her bottom lip quivering, "you're father…he…he beats you?"

He had never lied to her before, "yeah, sometimes."

"Those bruises on your ribs weren't from practice were they," she asked, already piecing things together.

"No, that was a bad day," he admitted.

"Oh, Nate," she wrapped her arms around his neck, cradling his head to her breasts, "why didn't you tell me?"

Nathan took a deep breath, she smelled beautiful, and like the woman of his dreams, "it never came up."

They both noticed that the picture changed and this time it was Brooke who groaned. Nathan studied the picture and felt the very beginning twinges of jealousy. It was of a young kid, maybe fifteen, with dark curly hair, a tanned face and perfect teeth. The kid looked down at the girl in his arms with a look of complete adoration. The girl was Brooke. Albeit a younger Brooke but the same deep dimples were there and she looked just as happy.

The picture moved again and there was a clip of a newspaper article with a picture of a car that barely resembled a car because it was smashed so thoroughly. The caption read: murder much?

"Who was he?"

Brooke looked at Nathan, her eyes wet, "Alex Rivera, my…he was my boyfriend. I killed him."

"What?"

Brooke didn't say anything for a long moment before she finally murmured out her heartbreaking story, "we were stupid and had extra money to burn to do stupid shit. We got drunk at a party and I broke up with him. He was always such a sensitive guy, I knew I'd hurt his feelings but I thought I was too young to be held down in such an intense relationship. In hindsight I realize that I didn't understand what I had. He got into his car and I never saw him alive again."

Nathan cupped her cheeks, "that doesn't equate to murder, Brooke."

She looked up into his eyes and nodded, "I was a stupid girl and he paid the price for that stupidity."

"What happened after?"

"I moved around for the rest of that school year and for some of this year before I decided to settle in my grandpa's hometown. No one knew me here because my dad had made his fortune in South Carolina. It took me a little over a year to settle again and you know the rest."

Nathan nodded but the picture changing again caught his attention. It simply said: we know your secrets and as of now, so does the rest of the school. Take a peak at the school website.

Brooke seethed angrily as she realized what the note meant; her fists clenched, and said one word in a furious hiss, "Peyton!"

Peyton, who had been waiting in the hallway outside of the door, smiled and murmured more to herself than anyone else, "told you that you'd remember my name by the end of the weekend," and then left in search of her friends with a smile on her face.


	4. Soul Expanding Experiences

Nathan had been watching Brooke like a hawk in the days following the major leak of their secrets. And there really wasn't any doubt that the entire student body knew all about Dan's abusive behavior and Brooke's past. She had been just as strong, her back had been just as straight as she walked with him through the hallways but there was something else. Something that Nathan hoped wouldn't erupt into a full fledged bitch fight.

"How you doing buddy," Brooke sat down in front of him at the lunch table they sat at with a huge grin.

He looked her over, it was a game day so like all of the other cheerleaders she was wearing a dress but she looked particularly good, "what's gotten you so happy?"

"Can't seeing my bestest friend make me happy," she wondered.

Nathan smiled at her, "what do you want?"

She sighed dramatically, "you are very cynical!"

"That's probably true, now tell me what's going on," he persisted.

"Fine," she pouted for a moment before continuing on, "I've figured out where I'm going to take you this weekend since we have the game tonight instead of Friday this week. Whitey's idea for Thursday games was genius!"

"Where are we going," Nathan questioned, sudden excitement burning a hole through his usual calm demeanor.

She winked and casually linked their hands across the table, "it's a secret but you're going to love it."

"Okay," he nodded, "I trust you."

Brooke beamed her wide smile at him and he couldn't help but return it.

XOXOXOXO

"I want to destroy her," Peyton told no one in particular.

"I think you got pretty close with spreading her business like that," Haley told her absentmindedly, flipping through a college catalog.

Peyton looked at the magazine in disgust, "why are you paying more attention to that nonsense then your best friend?"

"It's not nonsense, Peyton, it's my future. I don't want to live in Tree Hill working at Karen's forever and she wants me to go to college," Haley added.

"Yeah right, Haley! You're going the same place I am the day after graduation and you know it," Peyton insisted.

"And where's that?"

Peyton rolled her eyes again, "social services to get our very own Benefit cards."

"I can't believe you would even say that," Haley told her slapping the magazine shut.

"What's your problem?"

"My problem is that you demean Brooke for being rich because you're poor and then you act and say things like a degenerate! I'm poor too but I'd never say anything like that!"

Lucas sat down across from them, "hey ladies. Haley, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she rose immediately and wasted no time in leaving the entire cafeteria.

"Is she okay," Lucas asked staring after her.

Peyton grabbed his chin and forced him to meet her eyes, "yeah, she's fine, probably PMS-ing."

"Speaking of which what would possess you to put up pictures of Dan hitting Nathan on the internet?"

"I thought you'd approve," Peyton told him and that was when Lucas felt her naked foot playing with crotch of his pants.

He swatted her foot away, "well I don't! Do you realize how tacky that makes us look? Nathan gets beat on at school for being the lucky son of Dan Scott while also being beat up at home for being the lucky son of Dan Scott?!"

"Don't get sarcastic," Peyton told him replacing her foot on his crotch, "do you want to get out of here for a while?"

"You know," Lucas smacked her foot to the floor making her scowl furiously, "I don't think there is anything I'd like to do less."

Peyton watched him walk away in complete surprise. She looked around and found Brooke's eyes on her. She scowled even harder before lifting her bag and stalking out of the cafeteria.

XOXOXOXO

They lost the game that night because Lucas was playing selfishly and was also uncharacteristically distracted. Nathan knew as soon as he entered his house that his father was there and judging by the smells in the rooms, he was drunk. Nathan tried to sneak up the stairs but wasn't too surprised when he heard Dan bark his name.

He entered the parlor where Dan was sipping on a cup of whiskey, "what the fuck happened tonight?"

"What do you mean?"

"You lost," Dan told him.

The slight slur of his voice alerted Nathan to the fact that Dan wasn't merely drunk he was trashed, "I never was allowed to get the ball so it wasn't my loss."

"Don't back talk me!"

"I'm not," Nathan sighed, "look its been a long day and I have plans tomorrow so I'm going to go take a shower."

"Don't walk away from me," Nathan wasn't prepared for Dan to lunge after him, grabbing his shirt collar and yanking him back.

"Dad," Nathan shouted before turning. He didn't see the hit coming and staggered back a few steps by the intensity of the impact of his father's fist in his face.

"You're useless, can't even get the ball from that bastard Lucas," Dan told his son before knocking his head back furiously with one opened palm.

"Dan, what the hell are you doing," Deb's voice from the doorway was Nathan's saving grace, "Nathan come out of there!"  
Nathan walked past his mother, who was thankfully sober that night and stopped, "he's drunk."

"I know it," she nodded, "go on up stairs and pack some clothes, you have plans to go away this weekend right?"

"Yeah," he had texted her earlier in the day.

"Go ahead, honey," Deb was still locked in a staring contest with Dan.

"I don't want to leave you alone with him," Nathan murmured.

Deb finally looked at him, "I'll be fine. I love you and have a good time."

Nathan nodded, when Deb was like this, sober, he believed in her. She was a strong woman and he would never understand what she had seen in Dan Scott, "I love you too, mom."

XOXOXOXO

Brooke opened her door with excitement, expecting to see Nathan ready to go out to the movies with her but her breath caught in her throat when she looked at him. She grasped his hand and pulled him inside.

"What the fuck did that fucking monster do to you," Brooke asked.

Nathan had completely forgotten about the punch, he was probably swollen, "nothing really, my mother came home before he could do damage."

"Oh, Nate, sit down" he watched her as she ran around the kitchen until she had a makeshift ice pack. She bent in front of him as he sat in the chair she had indicated and placed the ice pack very gently over his cheek bone.

She was frowning and maybe it was the release of adrenaline from getting into an physical and emotional battle with his father but he brought his hand up and ran his thumb over her pouty bottom lip, "you shouldn't frown, you have a beautiful smile."

Brooke's hazel eyes rose to meet his blue set in surprise, they were surprisingly intense. She exhaled rather harshly and she watched in surprise as time slowed. Her head lowered and she sucked in Nathan's exhale of breath, their lips were so close that with one little moment she would be able to taste him.

"We shouldn't," his voice surprised her.

After a moment she nodded, "you're right, of course!"

Before she could walk away he gently grabbed her wrist, forcing her to look at him again, "it's not because you're not beautiful or because now I know about your past. It's because I can't risk losing you, Brooke. I can't risk losing the only person I've ever had on my side for a few hours of whatever! I need you too much."

Her eyes softened and he knew that she understood, "how about we get some take out and rent a movie instead of going out?"

"Sounds good," he agreed.

XOXOXOXO

They were on the road by nine the next morning. They had slept together in the same bed as they had been doing since the Charlotte trip the weekend before. Thankfully it hadn't been awkward for either of them, it was just another level of understanding. Brooke now understood that as much as she loved and relished the security of Nathan's arm around her waist protecting her in her sleep he felt the same way about just being with her. She understood his hesitancy to do anything to ruin their relationship.

"I can drive if you want," Brooke offered.

Nathan smiled at her before turning his eyes back to the road, "I'm good to drive, I just look like shit!"

"Oh, honey, you look beautiful," she teased and gave his good cheek a pinch.

"You're ridiculous, you know that, right? Are we still heading Southeast or are we taking that exit Southwest?"

"Stay Southeast," Brooke replied and then laid her head back on head cushion. Nathan's cell phone rang so Brooke checked the caller ID, "it's a Tree Hill number but you're phone doesn't recognize the person."

"Answer it," Nathan prompted, relieved that it wasn't his mother calling saying something had happened.

"Hello, this is Nathan Scott's phone and this is his life partner Brooke, how may we help you," Nathan laughed out loud but quieted when her smile fell at the reply. She sighed and pressed the speaker button, "hello, Lucas, what can we do for you?"

"How the hell did you get my number," Nathan asked.

There was a pause, "it doesn't matter. Where the hell are you? We're doing an emergency practice and you need to be here."

"Maybe you wouldn't need a meeting if you could learn to really lead and pass the ball," Brooke mentioned.

"No one asked-"

Nathan interrupted him before the two of them got into an argument, "I'm in the car with Brooke and we're out of the state right now so you'll have to wait until the planned Sunday practice."

"You're not going to be back until Sunday," he sounded incredulous, "what the fuck are you doing out of the state?"

"There you go trying to make us the buddy-buddy brotherly types again. I'll be home in time for Sunday practice," Nathan nodded at Brooke. She closed the cell phone and looked at him intently for a few moments until he couldn't take it any longer, "what?"

"Lucas has been trying to talk to you," she asked.

"He tried to play his game while I was waiting for you to come back with food before out first game last weekend."

"Has that ever happened before," she wondered and began to tweak her finger nails.

"No, but I know it's just a new way he's devised of making me pay for being the son who's lucky enough to get beat," Nathan told her, his voice bitter and scathing.

"What if he's trying to mend bridges," she questioned nonchalantly.

Nathan shook his head, "I know that you think you can cure everyone of their rampant stupidity but you can't, Brooke. He'll never leave me in peace. As long as we're in the same town he'll always make me pay for what Dan did to his mother and his neglect."

Brooke sighed, letting the conversation go for now, she took his hand and squeezed gently letting him know she was there for him no matter what.

XOXOXOXO

"Okay," Brooke took a deep breath and stopped the car outside of Ashville, South Carolina. She had insisted on driving the rest of the way after lunch so Nathan could rest his eyes and she had been glad for the distraction of driving. It was going to be the first time she'd been back to her hometown in over a year and she was nervous.

Nathan didn't open his eyes as they sat in the silence of the parked car but knew enough about his friend of only a few months to know that her mind was racing, "just drive, Brooke. If you can't do it then keep driving. I'm with you no matter what."

She took a deep breath and stared at her friend, the first one she had let in since Alex. If he could be with her, despite her past, she could be brave enough to face the people she had left behind.

"Let's go," she told herself quietly. As they drove through the city Brooke pointed out the town's beautiful attributes. Ashville was reminiscent of Tree Hill in many ways but there was a distinct air of complete wealth that permeated the area.

Brooke finally stopped the car and looked over to Nathan, "this is Ashville Academy, it's the boarding school I went to from sixth grade until pretty much now. And this building is where the people I left behind here live."

Nathan looked at the building. It was a small brownstone that would probably be more at home in the heart of Brooklyn. He gently squeezed Brooke's fingers and opened his door, "ready?"

She nodded and turned the car off. They approached the door hand in hand but before Brooke could knock the door swung open and she was being hoisted into the arms of a tall, broad shouldered guy with dark brown hair and soulful brown eyes.

"Do you know this guy," Nathan asked, he still hadn't released her hand.

Brooke nodded and when Nathan finally let go of her hand she wrapped her arms around his neck. The guy held her tightly, his eyes squeezed shut, "damn it's good to see you, Brookie."

She laughed out loud in his neck but tears still escaped her eyes. She clutched his shoulders tightly and then pulled away gently, "Jake Jagielski, I want you to meet Nathan Scott, he's from Tree Hill."

Jake seemed to assess Nathan with deep piercing eyes and suddenly Nathan was desperately hoping for approval from a guy he knew meant so much to Brooke. He held out his hand finally and grinned, "nice to meet you, Nathan."

Nathan grasped the hand, "it's nice to meet you too."

"Is Rachel here," as soon as Brooke asked the question Jake was being pushed aside by a red headed girl.

The girl, who Nathan assumed to be Rachel, looked him over and raised one dark red eyebrow, "nice."

"Hey, Rach," Brooke's voice sounded weary as if she wasn't sure if the redhead would hug her or strangle her.

"And if it isn't little miss run from all of her problems," Rachel stated, her voice bland.

Nathan tensed ready for Brooke to either burst into tears or bring in her attitude. To his surprise Brooke did neither and instead took a step toward the girl, "it's been a while, too long."

"Yeah, you couldn't bother to pick up your phone," Rachel reminded her.

"It was too hard," Brooke admitted.

Rachel nodded and Nathan saw the tenderness in her eyes before she turned back to him, "so what has this cow done to deserve such a fine looking specimen?"

Nathan gasped at her insult but Brooke laughed out loud. She put one hand on his arm, "don't mind her, Nate, once a slut always a slut!"

Rachel laughed too and Nathan watched as she pulled Brooke to her for a hug. Rachel held her tightly for a moment before murmuring, "don't ever leave me like that again, whore."

Brooke nodded, "can we come in?"

Jake held open the door, "of course, this is your home too."

XOXOXOXO

Nathan watched as Brooke interacted with the people around the large dining room table. Jake had created a veritable feast and together, with a few bottles of wine, the entire group had shared the dinner over stimulating and often times hilarious conversation. Two other people lived with Rachel and Jake, Millicent and Mouth, who were the perfect couple if Nathan had ever seen it.

"So Mr. Quiet and Mysterious what's your story," Rachel asked, her fingers idly rubbing the rim of her wine glass.

Brooke looked at Nathan and nodded her head. He took a deep breath before telling them the sordid tale of his father and the result of his neglect of his older brother.

Jake whistled and poured Nathan more wine, "your father sure screwed up your life."

"Sounds like the brother needs an enema, the girlfriend needs to go back to the trailer park and the best friend needs to get off her high horse," Rachel commented.

"I can't believe they posted stuff so personal on the school web page," Mouth told them.

Brooke nodded, "it was hard to see it so public again."

Nathan took her hand and squeezed gently, it was becoming their ritual of strength for one another, "but we got through the first few days and those are always the worst."

Jake and Rachel shared a glance with one another before Millicent asked the question on everyone's mind, "I'm glad you have each other and God knows I'm so happy to see you again, but is there something else that you need?"

"Actually that's one of the reasons I brought Nathan here," Brooke admitted, "first, I wanted him to meet people who didn't give a damn about his past. And second, I thought I could handle the Tree Hill situation on my own but it looks like I need reinforcements."

"Oh, yeah, a good old fashion ass whooping," Rachel rubbed her hands together with a smirk.

Jake rolled his eyes, "I don't think she had that in mind, Rach."

"Oh," her disappointment was evident.

"What'd you have in mind," Mouth asked.

"Yeah, what'd you have in mind," Nathan repeated.

Brooke smiled around the table, "well…"

XOXOXOXO

After dinner Nathan went upstairs to the room he and Brooke would be staying in to use the adjacent bathroom for a shower. While he was washing up he thought about how obviously attached each of the friends was to one another. They were so comfortable around each other and easily let their personalities shine. He had never had a group of friends that loved each other so much. And the living room was full of pictures of them; Pictures of Mouth and Millicent at a winter ball, Brooke and Rachel cheering side by side, Jake playing his guitar with Rachel and Mouth listening intently, and a huge group picture of them on the beach complete with Alex. Nathan didn't want to think that he was jealous of a dead man but it didn't mean that it wasn't true.

The bathroom door opened and he could hear Brooke as she lifted the toilet seat, "so what do you think of them?"

"I think they're great, and they're fun," he added as he soaped up his torso.

She sighed, "I'm so glad we did this. I needed to see them again but I don't think I would have had the strength to face them without you."

Nathan smiled to himself, "yes you would have. I think you've needed them ever since you left and it's obvious they've needed you."

"What about Rachel," Brooke laughed and he could hear her rising and putting the toilet seat down.

"She's interesting," he admitted.

"She means well but she has no brain filter. I think the plan will work and I think that we're going to have a fantastic time tonight," she added, "flush the toilet when you get out."

Nathan listened as the door closed and smiled to himself, having Brooke Davis in his life was a miracle.

XOXOXOXO

"Okay people, cell phones on vibrate because you won't be able to hear them in the club. Let's enjoy ourselves since we have B back for the night," Rachel told them.

Millicent rolled her eyes, "let's go Rachel."

"What an inspirational speech," Mouth added.

Nathan followed the group into the club and to his surprise he wasn't even questioned about the fake ID Rachel had handed him earlier in the evening. They walked through the crowded club toward a table that was strangely bare despite the large quantity of people there.

Rachel raised her hand and within a moment there was a staff member at the table to collect their jackets. When she caught Nathan's look of consternation she smiled, "I don't care what Tree Hill thinks about money, my parents have it, so I spend it."

"Ever the stereotypical rich girl," Brooke told him with a conspiratorial whisper.

The staff member returned with Jack and Cokes and left with a huge smile on his face when Rachel slipped him a fifty dollar bill. She shrugged, "I like to live well and it's the least my parents can do after not bothering to see me in person for nine months! Oh, fyi, I'm not spending another Christmas in Ashville without you and since I know you're not going anywhere do you mind if I crash in Tree Hill with you?"

"Absolutely not, we'd love to have you," Brooke told her immediately. It wasn't lost on any of them that Brooke had included Nathan in her invitation.

"I would have taken you home with me," Mouth offered.

Rachel's gaze softened as Nathan noticed it only did with her group of friends, "I know but what would Millie do?"

Millicent smiled gently nudged Rachel with her elbow, "we can always make room for you and you know it!"

"I know," Rachel admitted, "but I want to dig my heels into Tree Hill. It sounds like it would be a blast to cause mischief there!"

Jake rolled his eyes, "let's go dance and then we'll get another drink."

Nathan followed them onto the dance floor. It was a popular club and was playing all of the hits in the hip-hop genre which equated to a lot of gyrating bodies doing things probably best left in bed.

"Wanna dance, friend," Brooke asked with a devious grin.

He nodded and turned her so her ass was pushed against his groin, "I've been waiting all night."

After the first dance Nathan was sure he'd made a mistake because Brooke had been a cheerleader and dancer for a long time, she knew exactly how to move her hips to drive him crazy. After the second dance he stopped letting her own him and put a possessive arm around her waist and let her know who was boss, he heard her gasp and then watched as she rose to the occasion turning and wrapping an arm around his neck. By the time Jake asked if they were ready for another drink Nathan was subtly trying to hold down his erection.

"It's hot as balls tonight in here," Jake told them as soon as they were back at the table.

"Tell me about it," Nathan noticed that Millicent's voice was slurred.

"Here we go," Brooke commented.

Millicent blinked several times, "I am not drunk!"

"Wine at dinner, plus drinks at the club equal a drunk light weight," Jake confided in Nathan.

Mouth grinned and Nathan had to smile at his friendly face, "and Mouth getting lucky."

Everyone laughed and in that moment Nathan was so grateful to be a part of their group. He had barely known them for more then six hours but he felt like they'd accepted him without question or reservation. It felt good and more then ever he was tired of his treatment back at home.

XOXOXOXO

Rachel, Millicent and Brooke took a bathroom break together and Brooke knew there would be an interrogation about to commence.

"So," Rachel applied lip liner, "he's cute, have you tapped that yet?"

"Rach," Brooke warned.

"Let's just be open and honest," Millie suggested before staggering from the stall to the sink.

Brooke sighed and didn't even try to fight it, "we're friends, like the way I'm friends with you guys except I never look at you guys and Jake and Mouth the way I look at him. But I'm kind of scared because I haven't been interested in a guy since Alex and look where that got him! And he's scared because he thinks sex would ruin our friendship and trust me when I say he wasn't being dramatic when he said he has no friends despite being an amazing basketball player and great guy. I really want to fuck him!"

Millicent and Rachel listened to her babble, which took all of three seconds for her to spit out in record time. They shared a look and then Rachel firmly took Brooke's shoulders into her hands, "Alex was a big boy, B. He knew better then to get into that car, especially with all of us there. He knew one of us would have driven him home. Yes, you hurt his feelings but that doesn't make his bad decision your fault. It has never been your fault."

"We knew you thought it was," Millie put her arms around Brooke from the side, "but not one of us, not even Alex's parents, ever thought it was your fault. You've been blaming yourself for too long."

Brooke nodded, ashamed that her guilt had kept her away from the only people that had ever truly cared about her, and then she thought of Nathan. He cared about her and she knew it, she saw it in every action toward her.

"Now," Rachel released her but said sternly, "tell me more about the snitch captain of the cheer squad."

XOXOXOXO

Nathan sipped his drink while the girls were in the bathroom. He had listened to Jake and Mouth debate about basketball before finally joining by siding with Mouth.

"See," Mouth smiled and bumped elbows with Nathan.

Jake shook his head, "I don't care what you say the Boston Celtics will never win a championship again."

"Mark my words," Mouth warned.

"So, Nate," Jake began.

Nathan sighed, he knew it was only a matter of time. He was protective of Brooke and had only known her for a small period of time he couldn't imagine what he would be like after knowing her for years, "yeah?"

"I guess I don't need to tell you that if you break her heart I'll break your neck," Jake questioned.

"I don't think I could. She means," he paused looking for the right words before finally admitting, "I love her."

Mouth nodded and shared a look with Jake, "good. She needs someone to love her unconditionally."

"Alex was a good guy but he was too passionate and too all consumed with her. If he had lived they still wouldn't have lasted," Jake commented.

"She's my best friend," Nathan added.

"She's good at being a great friend but not so good at receiving it, especially if she feels like she doesn't deserve it," Mouth told him.

"So if you love her, why aren't you with her," Nathan knew what Jake was asking and didn't pretend not to.

"I'd rather never touch her and to watch her be happy with someone else then to make love to her and it not work and her not be in my life. It's not worth it, I need her now."

Jake stared in the direction of the bathroom where the girls were beginning to walk toward them. Nathan noticed his eyes on Rachel, "trust me, man, I understand that."

XOXOXOXO

"So," Brooke got under the covers with Nathan and shivered. She put her cold feet on his shins and sighed at the warmth, "what did you think of Ashville's finest club?"

Nathan snuggled into her more. He put one arm under the pillow beneath her head and wrapped the other around her waist before taking a deep breath of her perfume and responding, "I had a great time. I think your friends are great!"

"They liked you too," she told him.

"Can we come back every weekend," he asked.

Brooke laughed, "we'll see! We have a pretty amazing basketball team here. I'm sure your dad would let you transfer here if it meant more Southern basketball accomplishments."

Nathan frowned down at Brooke, "thank you for the offer, but I told you I wasn't going to run away."

She turned in his arms facing him. In the dark her could still see her features lit by the moonlight, "I know Nathan, and that is admirable but in case you need to know, my friends are your friends now. They'd welcome you with open arms."

"Thank you," he whispered, it was amazing to know.

"By the way, you are a great dancer!"

"You seem surprised," Nathan laughed.

She snuggled into him again, her face pressed against his chest, "I wasn't expecting the Usher moves that came out after drink number four."

The rumbling of his chest as he laughed made her smile, "under the influence of alcohol I can do all sorts of amazing things."

"Oh yeah," maybe it was the alcohol or maybe it was the sexual attraction that was harbored so deeply within them both but Brooke sat up, "try this on for size."

Nathan could barely suck in a breath before her lips met his. If ever there was a moment where the world stood still and tipped on its axis it was the moment he kissed Brooke. She tasted like wintergreen and her lips felt like warm silk and her tongue was absolutely devious.

"What do you think," she asked breathlessly.

Nathan pulled his fingers through her hair and pulled her back down, this time he controlled the kiss and Brooke sighed as his tongue slid warmly into her mouth, greeting her tongue with a long, hot sweeping gesture. His fingers were tangled in her hair and she suddenly she was very aware of her breasts pushed against his chest and the hard length of his erection pressed into her stomach.

He groaned and pulled away. She was left mid-kiss, dazed and confused, "what's wrong?"

"We can't do this Brooke," he told her.

"Why not," he smiled because he knew she was pouting.

"Because I care about you too much. I can't lose you," he told her.

"You won't, trust me, once you're inside of me you won't be going anywhere for a long time," she told him and he shivered when he felt her hand on his stomach.

He took her hand and kissed it, "I'm going to take a cold shower. We have an early morning if we're going to see everything you want to show me and leave by five."

Brooke huffed before dropping her hand, "fine! But you'd better bring yourself back to this bed in a timely fashion."

"Yes, ma'am," he told her.

As he closed the bathroom door he heard she offer, "I could take the shower with you!"

He laughed but then groaned, he took his cock into his hand and prepared for yet another long, cold shower.


	5. Turmoil and Desire

They drove in silence the next morning as they inched their way up the eastern coast back toward North Carolina. It wasn't an awkward silence as much it was a tense silence. Brooke snuck glances at him as he drove, suddenly freed by her friends' statements that she wasn't to blame for Alex's death. She would always mourn him because he had loved her so well when she had needed him to, but she had blessed clarity now and it was amazing. She had met Nathan at a time in both of their lives when they had needed someone to be on their side. But now that the crisis was finally over, a year later for her, she was beginning to see the boy who had quickly become one of her best friends turn into the man she was desperate to be with.

"Stop staring at me or I'll have to pull over this car," Nathan muttered darkly.

"And do what," she smirked at him.

Nathan took one glance at her dimples, "all sorts of things I told you I was absolutely not going to do with you!"

"In that case," Brooke moved over in the passenger seat until she was rather close to his face staring intently at him.

He laughed and she smiled, her hand was drawn to the stubble that was beginning to mar his cheek. She stroked his cheek before placing one long, kiss on it. Nathan groaned, "you should stop."

"I don't want to," she admitted plainly.

"Well you have to," he pulled into a parking spot perfectly, "because we're here."

Brooke turned to the beach where he parked and smiled, "you've never been to a beach until you've been to a South Carolina beach."

"Who's house is this," he asked looking at the expensive looking house that stood a story high on stone columns.

"It was my grandpa's old house, after he passed away my parents used it for a vacation house although they never manage to get here for a vacation," Brooke grinned at him, "wanna stay here tonight? Plenty of booze and a beautiful beach."

"Don't tempt me," he told her.

They went into the house and the surprised housekeeper made them a quick lunch of sandwiches and soup before excusing herself for the day. After eating and joking they went on a walk along the water together.

"We're so cliché," Nathan told her.

"Why is that," she asked, leaning into him.

"We're walking on a beach, hand in hand," he explained.

"Well at least the sun isn't setting yet," Brooke stopped abruptly, pulling Nathan back from taking another step.

He turned to her in confusion, "why are we stopping?"

"Are we going to talk about this," she asked.

"Brooke," he looked down at his shoes and gently kicked the dirt with one foot, looking every inch like a bashful 5-year-old, "I won't let anything ruin my friendship with you. I know it's not fair, us sleeping together and everything, but I can't help it. I want to be close to you all the time."

"Nathan," she stepped up to him and put her hands on his chest, "we can do this and still not let anything ruin our friendship."

"I've never even done _this_," Nathan admitted, "I'm not a virgin but no girl in Tree Hill would be caught dead dating me!"

"I would," Brooke replied immediately. She paused, "I would be just as proud walking beside you as your lover and your girlfriend as I am when we walk together as friends."

"All the shit I've gone through has made me," he paused, pulling all of his jumbled thoughts together, "different. I get numb sometimes, that's not normal, Brooke. I come with a hell of a lot of string attached."

"And I've got more baggage then the luggage claim at the Charlotte airport but I want to try. You say you won't run from Tree Hill, you won't let them beat your bravery out of you," she looked up into his eyes wanting to kiss him more then she had ever yearned for breath, "be brave enough to take this step with me…please!"

"Baby," he cupped her cheeks and looked down into her eyes with so much intensity that Brooke couldn't have looked away if her life had depended on it, "all I want to do is take every step with you, but if doing this means that at some point you won't be in my life then I don't want anything to do with it! You saved me, Brooke, the day I met you was the day I started to believe again, to hope for more."

"I know," and she did. The day she had met him she hadn't been bullshitting when she'd said her intuition was telling her he would be important to her.

He jerked away from her and turned his back, he couldn't keep looking into her eyes and not kiss her. He felt her hand on his back before her arms crawled around his waist and she rested her head on his back, "Nathan, I can't tell you the future but I can tell you that I'm on your side no matter what. I highly doubt I'll be able to ever walk away from you. I…I think I'm in love with you."

He stiffened, he felt every muscle in his body tighten. He turned and looked into Brooke's eyes. They were full of tears but she hadn't let them fall, she was too strong, she would face him like the Amazon that she was.

"What did you say," he asked.

Her chin rose a bit, "I love you, and you can't make me stop!"

"Baby, I've been waiting for you to figure it out," he grabbed her behind and lifted her until her arms wrapped around his neck and their mouths finally met. He kissed her long and hard until he tasted her tears mixed in with her sweet taste.

"Take me to bed," she murmured against his lips.

"My head has been in your bed for weeks," he admitted, easily swinging her body until one arm was supporting her back and the other was supporting underneath her knees.

"That explains the copious showers you take day and night," she laughed out loud as she said it.

Nathan didn't respond he carried her into the house and very gently put her on her feet in the middle of what appeared to be a guest room. He watched then as she removed every article of clothing on her body. And when she stood before him naked and with her arms wide in invitation, he could barely stifle a groan. His fantasies hadn't done her justice.

"I love you," she murmured again this time with a smile bright enough to light a Christmas tree. He kissed her gently, taking his time to really enjoy her kisses before she lost patience and effectively stripped him of all clothing in what seemed like a matter of moments.

"I wish I could wait this first time but just looking at you has me close to the edge," he whispered before suckled one of her nipples deeply in his mouth.

Brooke's back arched off of the bed she hadn't even realized she had been lying on. She cradled him to her savoring him, "we'll be patient next time, I need you now."

Nathan rolled on a condom and it wasn't lost on Brooke that it was a magnum and that he was very well endowed. Finally, without preamble, he slid one long finger into her.

"Oh God, now, now, now! Don't wait anymore! We'll take our time next time," she promised rolling on top of him.

"Brooke," before he could utter another word she was impaling herself with his cock. He stared in fascination as every inch of him slid into her welcoming body. She tossed her head back and groaned. It seemed that he was numb for one moment before his body exploded into a mass of pure sensation. She was so tight and hot and he felt her body shudder around him as she rode him.

"Oh, God, I love you," she told him again and again before she screamed and he felt her clench around him.

Before she could come down off of her orgasm he rolled her beneath him and began to fuck her with long, sure strokes, almost always leaving her body but returning in a second with force making a loud slapping sound.

Her fingers curled around jaw and forced his mouth to hers before she tongued kiss him, her tongue mimicking his cock as he filled her over and over. He felt the tingling start in his thighs, "shit, I'm gonna come."

"Come with me," she offered, her eyes heavy and sensual.

He kissed her once on the mouth and then the breast before taking her over the edge and following her promptly with a grunt that rumbled through his trembling body and ended with his face in her neck, "I love you, baby. I love you, Brooke."

"I love you, too," she replied, her arms still tightly wrapped around him.

Nathan rolled off of her finally but pulled her so her head was lying on his chest. His eyes closed but before he could do more then take a few deep breaths Brooke rolled on top of him. He opened his eyes and focused on her smiling face, "what?"

"If I had known you were that good at _it_ we would have been doing it from the start," she told him.

He laughed and lifted her easily from the bed, carrying her into the adjoining bathroom, "we have to shower and grab some dinner before me leave."

"You pleasure me, you feed me, you drive me around," she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her ear to his chest as her voice went from teasing to serious, "no wonder I love you."

"Every time you say that I feel," he paused feeling uncharacteristically close to a deep emotional outburst, "like I could conquer the world or give it all up, for you. I've never felt this way, it's weird."

She laughed and finally allowed him to talk her into a shower which ended exactly as she anticipated it would.

XOXOXOXO

"Woman," Nathan told Brooke gruffly, "if you don't stop that I'm going to be later for practice then I all ready am."

Brooke made a few noises but was too busy nibbling on Nathan's ear in the parking lot of Tree Hill High to care.

"Come back home and I promise it'll be worth it!"

"Don't tempt me," he replied and wrapped an arm around her waist so he lift her and kiss her properly.

She smiled as she kissed him so enthralled that she didn't notice how from the gym everyone could see them through the floor to ceiling windows on that side. Nathan, however, did notice and decided to end the show.

"Go to cheer practice, vixen," he released her finally.

Brooke turned toward the cafeteria, where the cheer leaders practiced on the weekends, but turned back to catch Nathan for one more kiss. He laughed and smacked her behind as she did a jog toward the cafeteria.

He was still smiling when he put his duffle bag down and began to stretch. He didn't really look around, he wasn't interested. What the hell did he care if none of the guys talked to him? He had Brooke and he had friends in Ashville now and they had a plan.

"So I take it you're official now," Lucas stated.

Nathan couldn't seem to stop smiling as he stretched his shoulders and ignored his brother.

"I understand, she's got a fine ass," no sooner had Skillz uttered those words then Nathan had him by the shirt collar. He put his hands up in surrender, "it was a joke man!"

"Don't joke about her," he released his teammate, "you can do whatever the hell you want to me but leave her alone!"

"Possessive much," Lucas asked.

"About her, yeah," Nathan admitted as he looked everyone of the guys in the eyes.

Lucas' identical eyes bore into him, "you haven't even known her for two months!"

"Yeah, your point?"

"She'll use you and toss you aside," Lucas predicted.

"Then you should get great entertainment. It would certainly be something that would amuse you for months, probably years," Nathan told him with an attitude but then he took a calming breath. They had a plan and he'd have to push down his possessive instinct to beat the hell out of any of his enemies who would do Brooke harm.

"Hey, Nate," he turned to see Brooke running up to him with a pair of sneakers in her hand. She paused in front of him and handed him his practice Jordans, "they were in my duffle. We must have switched accidently while we were at the beach house."

Nathan opened his duffle and sure enough, for everyone to see, was a bright pink thong sitting on the very top. He closed it immediately and handed it to Brooke, "get out of here, trouble maker."

She winked and after a quick peck began her quick walk back toward her practice. Nathan shook his head after her but was once again smiling, she just had that kind of effect on him.

XOXOXOXO

"They make me sick," Peyton spat out in disgust as she stared at Nathan and Brooke. They were sitting at a table in the food court of Tree Hill's mall laughing like they knew the best joke in the world.

Lucas rolled his eyes as he tried to pull Peyton on but she shook him off, "why do they bother you so much?"

"Why doesn't it bother you? Hasn't it been your mission in life to destroy his happiness? What has happened to you lately," she asked.

He knew he couldn't very well tell her what was on his mind, or better yet, who was on his mind. He knew Peyton and she would flip out and cause a stink that Tree Hill would still be recovering from for years to come.

"I'm just realizing that maybe I've been spending too much time focusing on his life and not mine. In a year and a half I'll be away in college, what do I care after that? And I'm starting to think I've been lucky. Dan has issues and Nathan gets to deal with that. At least I get Keith, he may drink too much, but he's dependable and I know he loves me."

Peyton's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in shock, "are you saying that you don't hate him anymore?"

"I'm saying that I don't care enough to hate him anymore. I'm almost an adult, I don't want to base my life on his," Lucas admitted.

"What has happened to my boyfriend," Peyton asked with disgust.

Lucas sighed deeply and meaningfully, "we're growing up, Peyt. It was bound to happen."

She turned her attention back to the happy couple and determined that it was Brooke's fault. The moment she had entered Tree Hill Peyton's life had begun to disintegrate. She had to get rid of her, one way or another.

XOXOXOXO

One week later was the final week of school before Christmas break would begin and it was only a few days until the plan went into effect. It would be a busy week with midterms, a big qualifying game, Winter Formal and Rachel would be coming to spend the next few weeks with them. Brooke was full of anticipation. She would get revenge on Peyton and the rest of her demon squad but until then she would wait. It would all be worth it in the end.

"Don't frown, pretty girl, it'll give you wrinkles," Brooke stiffened as she closed her locker and turned to face Lucas.

"What do you want," she asked immediately.

He cocked his head to the side, "do I have to want something to talk to a beautiful woman?"

Brooke laughed out loud sarcastically before abruptly stopping, "what's the game, Lucas? You know what, it doesn't matter. I'm not even marginally attracted to you so if you think you're going to flatter your way into my bed to get to Nathan then you're mistaken. I only have room in my bed for one Scott and I think I got the better catch."

Before she could walk more than two steps away Lucas caught her arm. She swung around her gaze locked on his hand, which was still around her arm. Her lips thinned into one line and her eyes hardened, "get your hands off of me Scott or I'll scream so loud people in Durham will hear me!"

He let go of her immediately and looked down at his feet, "look, I'm sorry."

"No you're not, you're pathetic, get it right," she corrected.

"Stop with the insults for a second!"

"I have to make up for all the years you degraded Nathan, you fucking idiot!"

Lucas took a deep breath, obviously trying to calm himself, "I have to talk to you, can you stop insulting me for a fucking second?"

Brooke stepped forward and sneered, "you don't get to ask me for a second because you haven't let up on Nathan for one second in seventeen years. Fuck you Lucas!"

Lucas stared into her eyes and realized that he was looking into the eyes of pure hatred. He took a step back, no one had ever looked at him like that, not even Nathan, "I…I know I've gone overboard over the years-"

"How about way overboard, so fucking overboard you haven't seen the ship in seventeen years and it's in the other fucking ocean," she corrected.

"I'm going to stop," he finally told her.

Her eyebrow rose, "yeah right."

"I'm not interested in being his enemy anymore. I don't care enough anymore," he told her.

"Bullshit," she argued, "you'll think of Nathan and his supposed luck for the rest of your life and wish for all the 'what ifs', you'll never stop caring. However, Nathan is going to get the fuck away from you and Tree Hill and Dan and he is going to have a good life and never think of you again! You'll be nothing more than a distant memory in a past that's more like a nightmare. You'll be in Tree Hill harboring your sadness and neglect like a security blanket because that's the kind of coward you are. Now I'm going to go and pretend that your balls didn't decide to drop today, and you never approached me. And one more thing, you can keep your pretty girl shit to yourself, I wouldn't let you touch me with a twenty foot pole, I'm not even marginally attracted to spiteful cowards."

Lucas watched her walk away but still felt the repercussions of her verbal beating. But he couldn't bring himself to be angry, although he was sure a few people had heard her bashing. She was right, he had been letting a lot of foolishness dictate his life. He watched Nathan with Brooke, saw how happy they were in their little world, and realized that despite him Nathan was moving on. It made him feel like he was in a rut, like he was being punished by his own actions. He ran a hand down his face and sighed, Peyton was right, he didn't even recognize himself anymore.

XOXOXOXO

Brooke's arms crept around Nathan's shoulders. She felt him stiffen before he realized it was her, she wondered if he'd ever stop flinching when he felt someone approaching.

"Hey, cutie," she whispered in his ear, "you got a girlfriend?"

"Yeah," he replied.

"I bet I could steal you from her," she took a nibble on his ear.

He shook his head and then turned his head so he could kiss her lips, "nope, no one compares to her, although…"

She smacked him as he laughed and finally sat beside him, "so, Rachel is going to be here in a few days, and I think she's more excited about coming then she's ever been about traveling anywhere else in the US."

Before Nathan could respond Peyton slammed her hands down on their table, her eyes boring holes into Brooke, "how dare you!"

"How dare I what," Brooke wondered, she hadn't wanted to tell Nathan about Lucas' little encounter but apparently she would have to.

"You don't get to speak to my boyfriend let alone demean him in public as if you're so much better then him! Just because you're rich-"

"Let me stop you right there, Peyton," Brooke rose and she noticed a hush fall over the cafeteria, "you spit when you talk so take a step back, and I'm not particularly fond of the smell of your breath."

"Bitch, I will beat you down so quickly," Peyton growled and Brooke had no doubt that she meant it.

"Try it, please, I'm begging you to throw the first punch so I can knock you on your anorexic ass," Brooke told her through clenched teeth.

"You may have been hot shit back in South Carolina but you're on my block now. You better take note that I will make your life miserable for the next year and a half if you don't figure out your place."

"For someone who is constantly getting on me because my parents have money you sure have a way of acting like a brat," Brooke replied, "you know what your problem is?"

"Brooke, come on," Nathan tried to lead her away.

She shook her head and he released her with a pent up sigh. Peyton barely looked at him, "what's that?"

"You're bitter and quite idiotic. You're pissed because three years from now you'll be fat, pregnant, and useless. I'll be in college with the Scott of my dreams. You're pissed because you know that no one really likes you, they put up with you. You're pissed because you know that your boyfriend isn't happy with you. You're pissed because it's easier to be mad and not do anything to change your situation then to get off your lazy, self-righteous ass and do something."

"Aren't you a regular Dr. Phil," she sneered, "you know what your problem is? You killed your boyfriend, you don't have any friends and you know that no matter what you can't get one up on me in this school. Bitch and moan all you want about me, I still own you until we graduate."

"Honey, you couldn't get on my level with a ladder and detailed directions," Brooke replied immediately.

"What's worse is that you actually think Nathan's in to you," Peyton told her, "everyone knows he's only with you because you're the only person who'll be seen with him. The moment he leaves this town he'll leave you and you know it. You say my boyfriend isn't happy with me, at least I'll have someone who'll stand beside me. I'm not the pathetic one, Brooke, you are because at least I don't lie to myself."

"Peyton," Nathan warned.

"What, Nathan," she snapped, "do you have something to say? Keep your mouth shut!"

"I don't know who the fuck you think you're talking to but he is not your child, do not tell him what to do," Brooke's voice got raspy and low.

"Make me shut up then," Peyton taunted her.

Brooke paused, truly considering it before she shrugged once, "I wouldn't soil my hands by touching you, not because you live in a trailer park but because your brand of whore leaves stains."

"Let's go," Nathan finally felt Brooke following and heaved a sigh in relief. At this rate he didn't know how they would make it to D-day.

XOXOXOXO

Lucas had been walking down the hallway toward the main gym when he was pulled into a closet. As soon as he was thrown against the wall he tensed and tried to fight out of the grasp but it was surprisingly strong. He finally focused on his assailant, "Nathan, what the fuck?"

"I will destroy you if you ever go near Brooke again," Nathan slammed him against the wall one more time, feeling his own power flowing like electricity in his veins.

"Let me go," Lucas told him through clenched teeth.

"Do you understand me? One more time, and I will not be responsible for what I do. I've taken your shit for years but the second you even look at her again I won't hesitate in taking you out and please don't misunderstand, I would love to bash your head through cement."

Lucas' eyes widened in pure shock. The eyes staring at him were unfocused, obviously furious, he wondered if that was how he looked when he was beating up Nathan with the guys holding his body still.

"Acting a bit like Dan now, aren't you?"

Nathan's eyes widened and after a pause he abruptly released Lucas. Luke pulled his shirt down and stared at his brother, "I told her I was going to leave you alone."

"Yeah, right," Nathan actually laughed at that absurd lie.

"You don't give a damn about me," Luke told him.

Nathan considered it, he only thought of Luke in terms of how long until he never had to see him again, "yeah, that's about right."

"I'm going to get the hell out Tree Hill and away from Dan's shadow," Luke admitted.

"Amen," Nathan took a deep breath, "look, man, just stay away from Brooke."

"You really care about her," Luke asked.

Nathan looked at him, "yeah. I care enough to beat the shit out of you if you ever touch her again. I don't care if that means that every time you and the team see me you jump me, but you'll never be stupid enough to do it again."

"Is she worth this?"

"She's worth everything," Nathan replied before leaving the room.

Luke stared at the door thinking that he knew exactly what Nathan meant but he wasn't thinking about Peyton.


	6. Dream On

Brooke stood out on the side walk in front of her apartment complex with her arms wrapped around her waist trying to fight off the chill of the December afternoon. The clouds were overcast and it was abnormally cold out but then she considered that the cold may have been coming from her heart. Peyton's words those three days ago had sunk deep. Would Nathan leave her when he was out from under the black clouds that seemed to hover over him in Tree Hill? She had seen how he had come out of his shell in Ashville, would the freedom of college make him want to see what else was out there?

"Brooke," she turned as she heard her name. Nathan jogged up to her and wrapped his arms around her before laying a kiss on her that made her mind spin around and her heart start to pound. He pulled back and pushed her wind tousled hair from her face, "sorry I'm late!"

"It's okay," she smiled up at him and then let him wrap her in his warm embrace.

"She's not here yet," Nathan wondered, looking around.

"No, she will be soon though, she wouldn't miss Winter Formal or the plan for anything," Brooke replied.

"Hey," Nathan gently lifted her chin so she was looking into his eyes, "you okay, baby?"

She smiled, loving it when he called her by that endearment, "yeah, just tired and frustrated."

"I know," he showed his sympathy by rubbing her back.

Brooke hid her face in his chest, "I don't want to see your father."

"Trust me, I don't want you anywhere near him either but my mother insists on meeting you and Dad probably loves your status more than he loves me or my mother. Plus, it's only one dinner and Rachel will be there!"

Before Brooke could respond a flashy red Mercedes Benz convertible came to a screeching halt in front of them. Rachel Gattina smiled at them before cutting the ignition and getting out.

"Hey, cow," she said in greeting.

Brooke smiled and gave her old friend a long hug, "hey, thunder thighs."

"I don't think that is good for either of your levels of confidence," Nathan told Rachel as she threw herself into his arms.

Rachel smiled into his eyes, "I have too much confidence to worry."

Brooke smacked Rachel's ass, "come on inside you hussy, it's freezing out here."

"Can you grab my bags please," Rachel asked Nathan before pushing the button on her key chain that popped the trunk.

Nathan rolled his eyes as he looked at the six bags but dutifully carried them all inside. When he finally joined the girls at the kitchen table they were speaking very quietly and very seriously. He poured himself some of the sweet tea Brooke had made that day and listened as Rachel continued her story. He was pleased that she considered him enough of a friend to have a very personal conversation in front of.

"So I told them that as far as I was concerned they didn't have to worry. They've never spared me a moment before I don't know why they should try to start now," Rachel concluded, her face dark and angry.

Brooke put her hand over Rachel's, "I know they're frustrating you, Rach, but you've got to try and compromise or they'll take you out of Ashville so quickly your head will be spinning for a week."

"My dad got a job in California and want me to move out there," Rachel filled Nathan in.

"What does it matter if you go or not? Either way you're at a sleep away boarding school, they might as well let you ride out high school," Nathan commented.

"That's what I said," Brooke told him.

"My parents feel the need to show their parental superiority every few years by uprooting me and making me go through the whole process of fitting in again!"

"Something tells me you fit in either way," Nathan complimented her with a smirk.

She grinned back at him, "have I mentioned how much I like you Nate?"

"Back off, he's mine," Brooke warned teasingly before rising, "we have the formal tonight, did you bring the dresses?"

"What dresses," Nathan asked.

Rachel smirked deviously, "the dresses we wore to our sophomore homecoming that made the freshmen faint, the upperclassmen drool and the faculty consider statutory."

"Do I want to know," he asked.

"Just let it be a surprise. B said that you have practice for tomorrow's game and then you're going home to shower before meeting us at the school," Rachel was nothing if she wasn't a stickler for well planned strategies.

"Yeah, do you want me to meet you outside," he asked.

"No, go inside so you can see our entrance, it'll be very," Rachel paused and grinned at Brooke, "very stimulating."

"I'm worried," Nathan admitted before rising. He gave Rachel a hug and then took Brooke into his arms for a kiss that lingered. She felt so right!

"I love you," she whispered against his lips.

He smiled and kissed her again, more thoroughly, "I'll see you tonight."

After Nathan had left, closing the door behind him Rachel rose and went to where Brooke was beginning their dinner, "what's bugging you, lil bit?"

Brooke smiled, Rachel had been calling her lil bit since they were in seventh grade math and had became friends instead of enemies. She only used the term when they were alone and no one was around to witness her softness.

"Remember the argument I told you about with Peyton a few days ago," she asked.

"Did that bitch upset you because I'll pop off immediately if necessary," Rachel told her very seriously.

Brooke began to cut up some vegetables for the stir fry she was going to make and paused long enough to gather her thoughts. Finally she looked up at Rachel, "she said that once Nathan experiences life outside of Tree Hill on a daily basis he'd leave me to see what else he has missed out on."

"Yeah, right! Do you even see the way that boy looks at you? And beside that he was at the club and barely spared a glance at the group let alone other girls!"

"I don't want to hold him back," Brooke admitted, "he deserves to be happy, even if that means he decides to be with someone else."

"Well either way college is a year and a half away and you still got problems today," Rachel had a way of putting things into perspective.

"You're right," Brooke admitted, there was no use in borrowing trouble, "so…Rach…"

"Whatever you want to ask, just ask!"

Brooke grinned, "when are you going to give Jake some slack and get with him?"

Rachel groaned as she opened the refrigerator, she cooed when she saw the bottle of Sangria, Brooke turned from the stove where she had just thrown her veggies into the pan, "I'm going to ask again if you don't answer. It's not like you to not have an answer."

"I can't," Rachel admitted, she sucked her teeth as she thought, "I've thought about it a million times. I would love to take that step but I'm just not capable of being with a man in a relationship."

"You've never tried," Brooke argued.

"I'm the dysfunctional result of two very selfish people who should have never had children. It's hard for me to find enough peace in myself and who I am to be a close friend to you and the group."

"One day he is going to move on, not from your friendship but from his romantic interest, he wants love," Brooke spoke softly but didn't look into her. Saying that sentence had been hard for her, but it had been harder for her to see her two friends separated by a huge chasm of doubt.

Rachel finally slid herself up onto the counter top and took a sip of the wine straight from the bottle, "I want him to be happy, I want him to be in love."

"And I want _you_ to be happy and in love. You're my best friend, Rachel, I wish for happiness for you every time I pray," Brooke told her as she stirred the simmering veggies.

"I will be, as soon as we bring Tree Hill down a peg or two," Rachel successfully ended the conversation.

Brooke conceded her closing of the conversation, "all hell is going to break loose."

"Don't worry," Rachel told her, "I'm here, and I'm the ruler of hell."

XOXOXOXOXO

Nathan stood in the middle of cafeteria where all of the lunch tables had been cleared. The room actually looked pretty big and fancy decorated in blue and white. He had only been at the dance for ten minutes but he felt everyone looking at him with questions in their eyes. Where was Brooke? Had she already left him? He felt their questions and laughter echoing in his bones. He remembered in sixth grade when Lucas and the guys had broke his right arm, he had been right handed but had learned to write with his left hand. By the time they got the cast off he had been unable to write anything with his right hand. His bones literally echoed of a past of abuse. Sometimes he felt very, very old.

Peyton approached him and he sighed with resignation. She looked him over in his suit, "you look lonely, Nathan."

"I'm not," he replied.

"Where's your girlfriend? Playing you for the field all ready?"

"Actually, she's on her way," Nathan pointed toward the door just in time for Peyton to gasp and for his jaw to drop down to the ground.

Brooke and Rachel stood side by side, staring down the population of Tree Hill High, and they looked amazing doing it. Rachel had her hair up in some messy, controlled look, and Brooke had hers curling all around, but their faces looked beautiful as well. They weren't caked with make up the way Peyton's was, they were pretty close to natural except with a glow, a glow that Nathan usually only saw after sex, he wanted to kiss the hell of Brooke at that moment. But what made everyone appreciate them was their dresses. Rachel was wearing a dress that could barely be labeled a dress, it was strapless, emerald green, that had a cut down the front that showed off ample cleavage and barely stretched to her thighs and covered her ass. Brooke, always the slightly reserved of the duo, was in a rhinestone pink dress that gently showed off her breasts while hugging every curve on her body. They both wore matching patent leather shoes that he heard some girl grasp out, "Jimmy Choo!"

"Is that girl in the green wearing Versace," he heard another girl ask.

"Is Brooke wearing Vivienne Westwood," another asked.

He finally understood, the dresses really did make them look amazing but they wore them because they were top shelf expensive dresses with equally as expensive shoes.

Brooke spotted him and motioned for Rachel to walk toward him. As they approached him he squared his shoulders to show off the expensive cut of his suit.

"Hey, Nate, I missed you," Brooke gently pulled his head down for a kiss that melted a portion of his head.

He grinned down at her, "that kiss was a promise that I intend on collecting on tonight."

"Can I watch," Rachel asked with a mischievous grin.

Nathan gave her a hug, "and you look superb, of course!"

Rachel's smile brightened, "I know."

Nathan laughed at her audacity but didn't take his attention from the people around them. They were voicing their curiosity about Rachel's identity and their little trio in general.

"So, point them out," Rachel told Brooke after she returned from getting them some well spiked drinks.

Brooke looked around and then smiled at the group that was the basketball team and cheerleaders, she motioned toward them, "those are our golden group members."

"Let me guess, over processed blond is our Peyton," Rachel questioned.

"That's what I said," Brooke told her.

Nathan just shook his head at their similar thoughts, "right next to her is Haley the guy she's talking to is Lucas."

"Well I certainly expected better," Rachel admitted.

"Haley is formidable, and something tells me she's my real opponent," Brooke told her.

Rachel gulped down the rest of her drink and winked at Brooke, "ready?"

"I was born ready," Brooke replied, she looked at Nathan, "got your part down, baby cakes?"

"Just watch out, they have a few surprise punches lined up I'm sure."

Brooke went to the middle of the dance floor and chose an AV geek to dance with. He sputtered in utter disbelief before nodding his head vigorously and beginning to dance. Brooke was pleasantly surprised by his dance moves and told him so.

"It's not that I don't have moves it's that no one has ever asked to see them," he explained.

Rachel in turn selected a boy that seemed like the broody, loner type. After a bit of coaxing he finally joined her in a dance and surprised her with a smile that suggested a deep gratitude.

After a few more dances with a few more non-socialites Brooke and Rachel went to the drink table to meet up with Nathan. He had their drinks ready and was all ready sipping his third.

"I've never seen those guys so happy," Nathan commented.

Rachel shrugged, "I bring joy into everyone's life."

Brooke rolled her eyes but then grinned, "part one accomplish, we have an approach at twelve o'clock."

Rachel watched as the group approached the three of them from her peripheral vision. Finally the group of five stopped. Peyton looked Rachel over, "who are you?"

"Those guys were sweet," Rachel told Brooke, completely ignoring Peyton.

"Excuse me, your little friends must have not told you. I rule this sch-"

Rachel turned to her and met her gaze with a look in her eyes that made the words die on Peyton's lips. Finally she spoke, "I'm Rachel Gattina, and _you_ don't speak to me."

"You were in the cheerleading photo with Brooke," Haley finally remembered where she had seen her.

Rachel looked her over, a scowl on her face, "you don't either. You however, can speak to me…privately if you'd like."

Lucas' eyebrows shot up to his hair line at Rachel's comment. Nathan stifled a chuckle, "Rachel, this is Peyton, Haley, Lucas, Skillz and Bevin."

"Like I said," Rachel purred at Lucas, "you can speak to me."

"Excuse me," Peyton announced.

Rachel barely spared her a glance, "you're excused. Now if you four wouldn't mind excusing me and this fine looking specimen."

"That is my boyfriend," Peyton spat out but she also clutched Lucas' arm tightly.

"Oh," Rachel looked appropriately disappointed, "you're _that_ Lucas. Well in that case you can't speak to me either, but you can go fuck yourself. No one likes a bully."

"Who do you think you are to come to my school and talk to me and my friends like this?"

"Who do you think you are to dictate everyone's lives. Hate to break it to you sweetheart, but that kind of responsibility tends to make you a bitch!"

Brooke stepped forward dutifully, "now Rachel, you know what we learned in eighth grade etiquette. A good southern lady never reveals her feelings of anger and frustration."

"What's this new game, Brooke," Haley asked.

"It's called the rise up of the underdog and the destruction of the oppressor, do you like the title," Brooke asked.

Haley considered her, "you can't win this."

"Win what exactly," she asked, "win the right to be treated like a human being? It seems to me that this little group expects everyone to bow down to them. All I want to do is be treated fairly and in return be a good human and treat everyone else the same."

Haley opened her mouth and then closed it again. Brooke was right, this one was smart, Rachel thought to herself. She refused to say anything because it was a double edged sword. Everyone was listening, if she said that she disagreed then everyone would think she had verbalized her own ideation. If she agreed then she would be considered a hypocrite the next time she struck out at Brooke or Nathan.

However, as expected, Peyton proved to be too much of a speed demon to slow down and really listen. She took a step forward and threatened, "you just want to show off your vast wealth! Look at you in your Jimmy Choos and designer dresses!"

Good parlay, Rachel thought, but highly anticipated. Now for the final touch, Rachel thought as she finished her drink. She put down her cup and cleared her throat, "the Jimmy Choos are nice touches but also bargain basement, go to A.J. Wright tomorrow and you'd see them on sale for seventy bucks. As for the dresses, both were designed by Brooke and hand stitched by the both of us. But we think they look couture as well."

As the three of them left the dance they sealed the first portion of the plan. They infiltrated themselves with the regular people of TH High, they showed themselves to be self-sufficient despite their money and they had forced Haley, the formidable foe, into a corner.

XOXOXOXOXO

"I don't wanna go," Brooke exclaimed with a mean pout and the saddest face she could muster. However, Nathan gently, yet firmly, pushed her into the front seat of his car.

"I know, I don't want to go either," he agreed when he sat in the driver's side.

Rachel was in the back filing one of her fingernails, "Brooke I haven't seen you this unhappy since Victoria Secret cancelled the chocolate flavored lip gloss."

"Can it Rach," Brooke retorted, her unease growing.

"What's so bad about the guy, minus the leaving Lucas and his mom thing," Rachel inquired.

"Do you need more than that," Nathan wondered out loud as he negotiated the turns and curves leading to his house.

"I'm just saying that on a daily basis someone's father or mother is leaving them in someone else's care and moving on with their lives. Why does that make Dan the most evil man in the world? He didn't force Lucas to start playing the evil Robin Hood."

Brooke giggled at Rachel's new nickname for Lucas and Nathan just shook his head in consternation. Rachel had a way, despite her obvious biases, of making things clear. 99% of the things in her life were probably cut and dry, black and white. He wished that he had the ability to pull it together so well.

"He's the one who gave me those bruises when we first met," Nathan told her.

There was silence, a deep long silence and then suddenly Rachel's face was between the two front seats, "he did what? How the hell could you have not told me Brooke?"

"It wasn't mine to tell, just like stuff other people tell me aren't mine to tell," Brooke told her, conveying herself quite clearly through her eyes.

"I'll kill him, I can't stand child beaters," Rachel hissed.

"I'm not a child," Nathan argued.

Rachel's eyes softened for a moment before regaining their custom hardness, "you'll always be his child, as much as I'll always be my parent's child."

"Okay," Brooke clapped her hands lightly and donned her most respectable Southern belle voice, "Rachel and I will be wooing your family for a few hours and then we'll help with the cleanin, get things spick and span, and we'll be gone before you know it!"

Rachel sat back in her seat with a roll of her eyes and resumed filing her nails. Nathan's hands relaxed against the wheel. With Rachel and Brooke there he didn't know how he could lose.

Despite the beautiful table set up that Nathan's mother had prepared Dan's presence was enough to deflate most of everyone's moods. After thoroughly ridiculing everything Deb made and all of Nathan's games thus far in the season he turned his attention to Brooke and made Nathan's skin crawl. He had no idea when the savage need to protect her had set in so thickly, coating everything in him.

"Ms Davis, why in the world did your parents let you leave the prestigious Ashville for Tree Hill?"

Brooke dabbed at her mouth with her napkin before replying, she had learnt that Dan Scott prized good Southern manners of the gentile persuasion, "it was a mutual decision based on less than appropriate circumstances. I learned my lesson to say the least."

"Did those less than appropriate circumstances have to do with Alex Rivera," Dan asked.

Brooke's eyes hardened for one moment before gentling again, "he was one of the reasons for certain."

"What do you think of Tree Hill so far with the ever brooding Lucas," Dan wondered.

Nathan and Deb gapped at him. He never ever mentioned Lucas, Nathan couldn't recall one time in his life. He had always known that they were brothers because Deb had told him but Dan never spoke of him.

"I think his resemblance to his father is uncanny," Brooke replied before taking another sip of her soup.

Deb nodded her head a bit before returning her own attention to the soup she had prepared. When Dan proved to still be at a loss for words, his gaze sizing up Brooke's gaze, Deb grinned, "I see that every wonderful thing Nathan has told me about you is true Brooke."

Dan nodded his head, she was a worthy adversary. Her spoken words told him she wouldn't run around spreading any tales that he'd have to extinguish. Her unspoken words told him she was smart and wasn't quick to make her moves. She said Lucas resembled him, she was wrong. Lucas was a card player, quick and always ready to move, accepting loss in the very way he played the game. Brooke was more like him. She was a chess player, she took her time, analyzed every move she could make and he could make. Failure wasn't acceptable.

"I like her," Dan told Nathan finally, "you have my blessing."

Nathan looked at his father like he had sprouted wings, "I wasn't looking for your blessing Dad."

"Well you have it," and just like that brought his attention to the food at hand.

As Rachel, Brooke and Nathan left for the night Rachel grinned and almost skipped to the car, "Brooke you completely shocked him, he never saw you coming."

"Let's just get out of here," Brooke replied, she quickly got into her side of the car and tried not to look back at Dan, knowing he was standing in the doorway staring.


	7. Only The Good Die Young

"Even Dan likes her," Peyton threw her arms up in agitation and displeasure. She didn't know how Brooke was getting all the points in this game but she wanted it stopped, immediately. She turned to Lucas and as usual lately, he appeared to be bored and withdrawn. There were very few things that Peyton knew completely. One of those things was that as Lucas' girlfriend she had the best chance of getting out of Tree Hill. She wanted to be rich, and powerful one day. The best way that she knew of was to keep Lucas Scott by her side. She could sense his ability to pull himself out of the gutter. All of his withdrawal was just as unacceptable as the appearance of Brooke Davis.

"I'm sorry baby," she let her voice soften and caressed the side of face.

He finally looked up at her, "Peyton, why can't we just let it go? We'll still be the most popular people at Tree Hill High and they'll still be nobodies."

"You're right," Peyton whispered huskily, "I can think of much better things to do."

Lucas watched her stand at the end of his bed and slowly removed his old Keith Scott Garage hoodie. He couldn't deny that she had a beautiful body, and he knew that she could work it and use it to her advantage. But still, lately, it was getting harder to get someone else out of his mind.

"Can't we just talk? Does it have to be plot against Nate and Brooke or sex? Are those the only two options?"

"Nate," she questioned his familiarity with the boy he had sworn as his enemy long before she had come into the picture.

He rose and turned his back to her, "yes, Nate. That's his name. And if for no other reason then the fact that we have to win the state championship, I will not haze him anymore. The Ravens need him."

"No you don't! You guys are absolutely fine without him!"

"Peyton, he can get through to the hole like no one I've ever seen in high school basketball. He's our ace when the other team's defense at the line is tight. We need the points he can get us."

Peyton stomped her foot, angry again, "Lucas, you are starting to be way too casual about him. Did you forget that he's the reason that your father left you? The reason your father left you and your poor mother in the dirt like yesterday's garbage?"

He felt the familiar swell of anger but surprisingly he also felt an odd kinship. Their father beat him. Sure, Luke didn't have the money but he had a sober mother, a father figure in Keith and a whole population of his peers who liked him. Nathan truly had nothing. Nothing except the fire wielder from hell packed into the small, lithe body of Brooke Davis.

"We need to let it go. We need Nathan and in order to secure his position on the team he needs to feel accepted. We will leave him alone. And that means you will leave Brooke Davis alone."

Peyton sucked in a deep breath, "this is a bad move Luke. We cannot trust them."

"I didn't say trust," he reiterated, "I said we will leave them alone. That means _you_ will leave them alone. Just ignore them!"

Peyton seethed in quiet anger as Lucas left the room, a clear dismissal.

XOXOXOXO

"Ummmm," Brooke sighed out a contented little litany of pleasure. Nathan was gently nibbling and biting at a particularly sensitive area in the hollow of her neck and she thought it was a lovely way to wake up in the morning.

"Good morning, baby," he whispered right below her ear before kissing her earlobe.

"Mornin," she replied huskily. While her mind was tired her hands seemed to be awake and ready. They made a descent down to greet Nathan in their own way.

He groaned into her cheek, "I wish I could but I have early morning practice with the team."

"Forget the team," she opened her legs gently and he fell in line with her like they were two pieces of one whole. He groaned again as his hardness fell heavily on her damp center.

"Brooke Davis, you are going to be the death of me."

As soon as he said the words he cursed. How could he have been so insensitive?

She went still for a moment before finally placing her hands on his shoulders and pushing him back just a bit. She looked into his eyes, saw her pain reflected in his ice blue eyes, "it was a slip of the tongue, I know it. He's gone and I'm starting to heal. It's okay."

"Do you still love him," he didn't want to ask but he couldn't help himself.

"I think that the naïve Brooke that I was before that tragedy always will. But the person I am now, the person I struggle to be because I want to be proud of myself, is too in love with you to have space for any other man."

He leaned in and kissed her mouth the way he was aching to, "fuck practice," he whispered. He grasped his erection and slid it all the way home.

"Nate," her gasp was cut off as her back arched.

"Wrap your arms around me," he commanded as his body took over hers, demanding everything she had to give him. She obeyed immediately, holding him close, biting his shoulder and swirling her tongue around the tender area after. He went deeper, took her up higher until she was stretching beneath him begging him. He drew her up closer, holding her, "tell me you love me. Tell me that you need me."

"I love you, I need you," she was moaning and in moments she was coming so hard that her body shook in his arms as she held him to her like a vise.

"Fuck," he swore into her neck. He gripped her hips tightly and pumped furiously until he broke. He felt his body release and his eyes squeezed shut as he held back the tears that suddenly wanted to fall. It had been years since he had cried. Years since he had broken and he'd be damned if the first time in years would be in front of this woman. She was strong for him and he in return would be strong for her. So he held her. He held her until she went limp in his arms. When he was certain that he had himself under control he looked into her eyes.

She had been staring at him since her orgasm had subsided. She had seen his struggle in when he had been at his most vulnerable. She gulped hard, "do you love me Nathan?"

He looked surprised, "don't ever doubt it."

"Say it," she whispered.

Before he could speak Brooke's house phone went off. They let it go to the answering machine but both of them were surprised when Lucas' voice was heard, "Nathan, this is Lucas. Practice started five minutes ago. Where are you? We need you so get your ass to the gym. Oh, and good morning Brooke."

"I have to go," he rose and went into her bathroom, closing the door behind him.

XOXOXOXOXO

Nathan was distracted and everyone knew it. He was still making plays but also making careless mistakes. Everyone was fed up, their next qualifying game was in three days and they couldn't afford for anyone to fuck up. Finally Lucas pulled Nathan aside.

"What man," Nathan spat out as sweat dripped down his nose. He wiped his forehead with irritation. Brooke's face when she asked if he loved her was stuck in his mind. Why couldn't he repeat the words he had said so easily a few weeks before?

"I don't know what's going on between you and Brooke or you and Dan but put it in the back of your mind. We have a chance to win the state championship. We need you to be at your peak for this game."

Nathan looked at Lucas incredulously, "yeah right! I won't even get a chance to get the ball until you command it so!"

"No, you'll get the ball when you're open if you can manage to get your head out of your ass and play like a champion!"

"Are you serious," Nathan couldn't believe he'd even asked. Of course Lucas wasn't serious. He was just fucking with him again.

"Yeah," Lucas took a breath and wiped his own sweat away, "we need you. You're a valuable member of this team. I don't give a fuck if we never get along but as long as we're on the road to the state championship you have my word that you will be left alone."

"What's your word worth nowadays," Nathan questioned sarcastically.

"I've never given it to you before so I guess you'll have to take it at face value," Lucas replied quickly.

Nathan wasn't sure. He didn't trust Lucas as far as he could throw him. Then again things had been changing lately. It had been subtle but it was enough for Nathan to nod curtly. Luke grabbed the basketball, "let's do a real practice now!"

XOXOXOXOXO

Peyton watched as Brooke closed her car door and stopped for a moment to stare at her phone and text. She had devised the perfect plan to get rid of Brooke. It would take some things that some might consider devious. But if everything went according to plan no one would ever know that she had committed the actions running around in her mind.

"What are you doing," Peyton spun around at the sound of Haley's voice.

"Nothing and since when do you sneak up on people like a ninja," Peyton asked.

"A ninja," one of Haley's shapely eyebrows conveyed her point very well. She walked over until she could see Brooke walking toward the school as Peyton had, "what's on your mind P. Sawyer?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking that things have changed since she strolled in a few months back," Peyton replied nonchalantly.

Haley nodded, so much had changed. More than Peyton knew, and if it were up to Haley she would never know. Sometimes you had to keep some things close to home where you could protect them.

"Let's get to class, we can't be late again or Mrs. Harris will kill us," Haley murmured.

Peyton nodded and spared one last glance at the now empty parking lot. Brooke Davis would get hers and so would Nathan. If it was the last thing she would ever do.


End file.
